1862 May 20 4 miles of Richmond, Va.

 4 miles of Richmond

[letter of William H. Perry of the Richmond Howitzers continues]
                                                 

7 A.M 20th my Dear mother I could not fin-
ish this last night before dark. Nothing
active this morning seems to be trans-
piring. We got a cook (a slave) this mor-
ning, paying $10:00 a month for him. I
don’t see how General McClellan can claim
a victory at Wmsburg. We certainly had fewer men
a engaged – took more prisoners than they did –
killed & wounded more men than they did – took
every piece of artillery they had on the field.

[A fragment of a letter in this file may be the ending of this letter. See below.]
Tho’ the mud prevented us from bringing it all off; we did
bring the most of it away. At the close of the day our
position was exactly the same as in the morning
when the battle began. We were on the retreat or
the defensive, yet succeeded in making the
battle ground beyond the enemies lines. And
only resumed our retreat, according to original
intentions, when we felt disposed & when the
enemy did not see fit to molest us. It
seems we drove the enemy’s gun boats
back on James river. There has both in
Richmond & in the army great fear been felt

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lest gun boats should reach it. The people
of Richmond are very violent against Mr. Presi-
dent Davis for his criminal neglect of its
defence; until within [?] a very short period. Do
not forget to direct to Richmond care of George
& Herring. I am sorry Tom & Patsy are sick.
Give again my love to little George. How long
has Diphtheria been prevailing in our
neighborhood.[?] Is it the same that
was prevalent in the upper end of
Lunenburg before I left home.[?] I must
close. Dear Mother farewell
                                     Yr. Affly   W.H. Perry Jr.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]


MSS 7786-d