1862 April 27 Richmond,Va

Richmond April 27/62

Dear Pa,

Upon walking up the street this morning I met

Joe Polk, who threw me into the wildest extacies, as Stet & Connie

would say, by the production of a very bulky package which bore upon

its face Ma's well known chirography--I had at the beginging[sic]  of this month

entrusted to the tender mercies of some unknown individual two very long

letters for home--one to Sister & one to Ma & consequently was very anxious

to hear something of their fate.  You may therefore imagine my delight & surprise

upon discovering that a letter from me had actually reached home--After

an absence of six months during which time my efforts to let you know

something of me, my impressions & my doings have been unremitting, I have at

lst succeeded in convincing you all that I am not entirely bereft of

all love for my family & that I sometimes take the trouble to write <u>short</u>

<u>notes</u> at any rate.  A little more than a month ago I wrote <u>you</u> a

long & of course a very valuable & interesting letter which I have now given

up as lost, that being the third I think addressed to you which has shared

the same fate.  All things tho' must have a beginning & having succeeded

in reaching you with one I hope to be able to pour them in to my own &  your

entire satisfaction, being now too, stationed at this point for a short time

I expect to hear of more opportunities than formerly of communicating with you

Willis is at Lee's Farm near Yorktown but we expect him back here soon, as

his duties require his presence at this point.  We have been travelling <del>so</del> at such a rate lately

that I have been unable to carry on my branch of the business & for that

reason I stopped here intending to make up for lost time if possible, but

how long I will be able to remain here & dont know--I hope soon that

they will attack us at Yorktown, where we will most assuredly thrash them

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& then there will be no telling where we will go.  Things have a pretty gloomy

look just now--it is just rumored this morning that New Orleans has fallen--

how true it may be I dont know--(they dont hurry themselves here to give the news

to the people, it is the way with governments all over the world) but if so it

must protract this struggle greatly.  In Virginia however I think they the Yanks--will meet

with a series of the most terrible defeats in a short time & that at every point.

It is not worth while writing tho' about this for it may be accomplished long

before this reaches your.  There are immense bodies of men in this State on

both sides & they will soon have to fight without the aid of gunboats, when

the issue can never be doubtful.  Next month will I think see some very

hard fighting as matters cannot remain very long as they are.  My greatest

regret is always for you all at home, cut off from all communication with us and

as <u>you all</u> think--(I will not say whether truly or not) from the fountain head of all

truth--our newspapers--and obliged to swallow Abe's lies instead of ours.

All lies ae hard to swallow but if you must swallow some it is much better

for them to be of our own coinage, and I regret to state that in our efforts

to become independent of yankeedom by doing for ourselves all that they

were in the habit of doing for us, we have among other accomplishments

taken up that of lying & if old Ab's papers dont take care ours will soon

excel them in the science.  I can't help being amused at Ma's horror, in one of

her late letters, at the thought of any of our Generals quarrelling among themselves.

She seems to think that every one here is perfect--you of course know that

men will be men, & that ambition & jealousy will exhibit themselves no

matter how holy & sacred the cause in which they are engaged.  I see

& hear a great deal of it--so much so, sometimes as almost to make me

think that a really true & disinterested patriot does not exist & in fact

never could have existed.  General Beauregard, I believe, to be nearer the

mark than any other man in the army; Genl. A.S. Johnston was I believe one

A state of inaction such as we have <del>we</del> had  for the past year gives men

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much time to think of position & rank &c & makes them dissatisfied with

the govt., the authorities & every one in position--

[letter of Wilson Miles Carey to be continued on May 1]

MSS 14115