Wednesday –
June 11. 1862
Camp of the
Rockbridge Artillery
1st
Brigade Army of the Valley
Brown’s Gap
– Rockingham
County, Va.
near Albemarle line
Mrs. Wm M.
Blackford
Lynchburg
My Dear
Mother,
My friend W.
Rutledge, of Md., is home you know, starts their evening in Campbell, and
offers to take letters for me. I avail
myself gladly of this opportunity to send two very long ones which I have had for
some days awaiting a chance to send. I
hope they may interest you. I regret
very much that my letter No.11, written from Highland county never
reached you. It was very long &
would have given you pleasure.
As you are
before this probably aware Providence has favored our arms yet further in this
army and given us repeated victories since the affairs at Front Royal and
Winchester. On Saturday last in two
small but fierce infantry & cavalry actions we were successful, capturing
two colonels (one a cavalry brigade commander, who was taken by Holmes Conrad, son
to W. R. Y. Conrad of Winchester) a major and two captains, killing or wounding
a Lt. Col. And taking about 40 cavalrymen prisoners, with their colours – 1st
N. J. Cav. On Sunday in a fierce battle
of some 6 or 8 hours – chiefly artillery, it is [being] the enemy were defeated
and driven back. This was about 2 miles
beyond Port Royal Port Republic, chiefly, though part of the
action took
place at this town and nearer to
it. Our battery was busily engaged that
morning but not under fire; I will speak more explicitly of all this when I
write again. On Monday the enemy offer a
vigorous resistance were roused, with a lot of many men, horses, and 6
or 8 pieces of artillery. We also took the
at least 500 prisoners and large booty in a small way such as rubber[,]
clothes[,] blankets, haversacks, canteens, etc.
In Monday’s battle our Battery was hotly engaged and exposed a fire scarce
less fearful than that at Winchester.
And, thank God, suffered much less.
We had none killed, six wounded: only two seriously; Liet. Davis, and
Frank Singleton, of Ky., an old University student.
My prayers
for my own and the safety of my friends most are in this co. ever mercifully
answered. Berkeley was struck on the
foot by a spent ball and lamed for a day or two, but is nearly well again
now. It was only a bruise. I got your letter, enclosing the copy of [Eugenie’s]
which I enjoyed greatly, on the battle field – or rather in the pursuit just
after leaving it. Poor John Didlake, in
the 7th La. was killed on Monday.
This was told me on the field by Capt. Danl. A. Wilson who is safe. We have heard nothing of Char. L. C. Minor
yet, and we fear he is taken prisoner.
Give my love to Fanny & assure her of my sympathy. I will write more explicitly soon. I am much in want of money. In great haste
Your
affectionate son,
L. M.
Blackford
[transcription by Shannon Connolly]
MSS 5088
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