1862 April 25 York Town, Va.

New Genl Hospital
York Town April 25 '62

My dear Georgia and Tuck:
I have been intending
to do myself the pleasure of
writing you a letter for some
time, but the constantly pressing
duties of my Hospital together
with very numerous other calls
upon my time & patience have
prevented me--  We are still
in status quo--the Grand Union
Army has marched with gran-
deur up to our very breast-
works--  I have been able to
count numbers of their host
with the naked eye--their ships
constantly salute us with their
messengers of death; very often
just as I am about to go to
bed I hear a loud report &
then the whizzing sound & then
the explosion of the shell-- Yet
a Kind Providence is with us

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and the anxious inquiry meets the
prompt response "Nobody is hurt."
How long this will last we know
not as we are in the hands
of a General who keeps his own
counsel irrespective of all out-
side clamor--  We have obtain
ed a very decided advantage
over the enemy in every attempt
they have made against our
ranks--they have been repulsed
promptly & with slaughter--  They
have the advantage of us in
the perfection of their Guns &
in having an abundance of
ammunition  --  We have to hold
on to our powder as we have
none to waste in random shoot
ing--  I had three Yankee pris-
oners wounded in the Hospital
for three days & obtained a
good deal of information out
of them-- They believe that Beau
regard was killed at the Battle
of Shiloh & say that it was read
out to them on Dress Parade--They
say also that they are obliged

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to fight now or not be shot down
but that they do not think it is
of any use; because we have whipp
-ed them always on land-- They
say there were told that they would
be in Richmond in a week
from the time they landed at
Old Point--  Surely there never
has been such deception practised
upon any  people as upon them.
We sent down a few days since
several spies from Old Domin
ion Cavalry who went down on
the Gloucester side of York River
in a small Boat in the night
crossed & beat into the Poquosin
Marshes, thence to Ship Point all
through the enemies Lines up
to Half-Way House & Cockle Town
Genl. McClellan's headqters--
They report that  his force is not
exaggerated & that from the
immense preparations of every
sort they will make an attack
upon us very soon--That it will
be desperate no one can doubt
for a moment--  Defeat will be

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ruinous to McClellan & the death
knell to the Yankee nation--
I say from the bottom of my
heart "let them come" and if
the dread of the Virginia
will only keep off their Navy
we will whip them or every
man so far as I can judge
will die in his tracks--  I never
imagined such cool determi
nation as is manifested by
our Troops--  They all seem to
be actuated by the same calm
desire to meet the enemy as
soon as possible& to strike
him such a blow as to make
York Town again the arena
upon which the right of self-
Government was established &
would have been entailed to
us for ages to come had it
not been for Puritanical Cupid
ity & fanaticism--  I have met
with so many friends & acquain
tances lately that I cannot be-
gin to tell you who they are--
It seems to me that everybody is
here--  I meet people at every turn

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whom I have not seen for years--
Your father came over yester
day took my Horse went out
to Head quarters, slept on the
straw & returned today & went
home-- I expect him over
again tomorrow or next day as
I think the atmosphere of Gun
powder has very decided charms
for  him, particularly since he
 has gotten rid of all encum
brances in the shape of the
Women kind.  He says it grieves
him very much to part with
little Mann, but I think he
likes him only by way of vari
ety but prefers Gunpowder
atmosphere for a constancy--
You have doubtless heard of
De's being at Dr. Braxton's--they
were very anxious & I much
preferred her remaining in this
Military Department as I can
steal off at odd times to see
her, & the Doctor has been always

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very clannish & pressing in his
invitations to me & circum-
stances have rendered me very
happy to accept-- St. George&Ranny are both well--Henry
is well but overworked -- he is all
that a man can embrace
in the term "A Noble Man"--
Ranny has had two very nar
row escapes lately, one from a
Rifle cannon shot which entered
a tent in which he was sleeping
very close to his head & the other
through a piece of rash folly in
undertaking to be a Balloonist--
He went up in the Balloon--the
cord broke & he was carried
off at the mercy of the Wind
fortunately--thanks to a merciful
Providence--he descended in a field
of plowed ground & was not
hurt in the fall-- I fear he has
but little discretion but will have
to acquire it by hard knocks--
St. Geo. has gone to his company
has recovered-- I kept him with

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me four days on account of the
bad weather & he became so enam--
ored of sick men & Hospital duties that
he says he is determined to study
medicine-- He is in a very exposed
position & will have to fight man-
fully if the attack is made--  I go
out to see him whenever I can & do
all I can to promote his comfort-
My duties have been very arduous
for some time but I do not care for
work if my health holds out--  My
friends tell me I look well; but I
feel jaded & long for quiet & repose.
I am going from morning until 12 o'clock
at night & now that wounded are
being constantly brought in my poor
Back almost breaks under the
amount of stooping I have to do--
But I work with a good Will--
I have never sought any sinecure
position nor do I desire it but if
there was any one to take charge
of my Hospital and my Post practice
here I would very gladly avail
myself of the complimentary tender
that has been lately made me

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a Surgeon 0n the staff of Gen. Ma-
gruder--  It may be egotism in me
to tell you but the Medical Director
says that I cannot be replaced
in my present position-- For a
week we were all very anxious
about the fight but now we are
as quiet & as calm as possible
awaiting anything that may turn.
All were well at Home today--  Bet
ty & Martha are still at home--
Peyton is sick with continued fever
constant loss of rest was too much
for him--  I have sent him home--he
is getting better & I am in hopes will
soon be well-- Dr. Clarkson stays
with me tho he is attached to the 13th
Ala. Regnt--  I like him very much--  He
admires Tuck very much & talks a
great deal about  you--You must
both give my love to your Husbands
when you write to them--  Georgia must
kiss her Boys for me--  Love to all
at Mr. Gay's and Mr. Mason's & write to
me--  May God bless you & yours
& again bring us together under
the dispensation of that Peace that
He alone can vouchsafe--
Truly your brother,
J. R. Page

Mrs. Georgia T. Grinnan
c/o Rev. R.R. Mason
Columbia, Fluvanna Co., Va.