Richmond June 17th 1862
Dear Nannie
I have given up
all hopes of ever getting another
letter from any of you & had
determined not to write again
myself until some of you wrote,
but I thought this morning that
I would write once more to let
you know where I am & if you
didn't write pretty soon then, just
to let the correspondence drop. I
know you are perfectly horrified
at my talking this way, but you
need not be surprised at it, when
I tell you that the only letter I
have received from anybody, with
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the exception of one from Pa, since
the middle of May was on written
by Aunt Mary on the 5th April.
Pa has been to see me twice & its
afforded me the greatest pleasure
to see him & be with him, even for
a little while, but the last time
he was down I didn't have time
to talk to him about hardly
anything, he staid such a little
while. I think you might have
at lest time enough to write me
word where you all are & how you
are. We are stationed at the same
place we were when Pa & Uncle
John were down. There is consid-
erable skirmishing on the lines
nearly every day, but there has
been no fight of importance
[page 3]
since the battle of "Seven Pines" I
suppose you have already seen
numerous accounts of that battle
and I will not bore you with a
long account of my own. Our company
arrived upon the field late Saturday
evening & was subjected to a heavy
infantry fire for 20 or 25 minutes,
but finally succeeded in driving
off the rascals with a few rounds
of Canister & shrapnel. We
had one man shot through the
hand right badly with a minnie
ball, & several horses wounded.
I had the honour of holding two firey
steeds myself, both of which were
wounded one seriously, the other
very slightly: my only regret was
that both the old brutes were not
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killed instead of wounded. We
remained that night in the enemy's
old camp which was one solid
mass almost of dead horses &
men. It was the only time I have
ever seen anything that came
near the accounts I have read
in History of battlefields covered
with blood. All around & admidst
the
left, there were in some places
pools of blood & the horses were
actually piled up on each other.
As soon as dark came so we could
leave our guns the boys com=
menced plundering the yankee
camp & there was nothing in the
world necessary for a soldier's
comfort that we didn't find.
They left splendid India
rubber cloths & knapsacks
& overcoats & blankets by the
thousands. There were barrels
of sugar & coffee & of the
latter my detachment got
enough to last nearly twelve
months. We have genuine
coffee now twice a day.
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Some of the fellows filled their
knapsacks with nice clean
yankee clothes, but I had no
desire myself to wear their
clothes & in fact I didn't plunder
much anyway; I got me two
good rubber clothes, one Haver-
sack & knapsack & a pair of
yankee spurs. It was very
dark & in walking around
nearly every other step I took,
my foot would either fall
upon a dead man or in a
hole several inches deep in
blood. The wounded & dying
were all around us, uttering
the most hideous & painful
groans all night. The next
day (Thursday) we remained there
all day, & were again subjected
to a hot fire from the enemy's
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artillery, but hadn't an opportunity
of returning it. We helped also
to bury a good many of our dead
that day. The Sun was shining
very hot and it certainly was
the most sickening offensive
place I ever saw. That night
we left the field about nine
o'clock & returned to this place
where we have been ever since.
I don't think there can be many
more days before the big fight will
take place, when, I sincerely believe
the Yankee army will just
be annihilated. I suppose you
have re4ad all about old Jacksons
victories & more recently of
Stuart's brilliant exploit
I believe that the whole Yankee
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army & Government, to use a
camp phrase, are about
"played out" & if they are not
now, will be in a few months.
I must now begin to close. I suppose
Pa told you about my intention
to leave this company & join a
Maryland company, & my reasons
for so doing. I have gotten the
transfer signed by Capt Watson
& the Capt of the other company &
Col Brown & it only remains now
to be approved by the Sec of
War, who will, I am certain,
approve of it. I have sent it in
& expect to get it today or to=
morrow. If it is appd by Sec
War, I shall immediately join
the other company which is
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now stationed on the river near
Drury's bluff, under old Wise,
but which will probably join
old Stonewall pretty soon.
If you will just write to me
immediately & let me know
where you are I will write
you the particulars &c
in a few days. How are
Mama, Aunt Mary & all
the children? Give my
love to every one of them
& write to
Yr aff brother
James P. Williams
P.S. Tell Pa I got the shoes
from the Exchange hotel
and that they are the very
things.
J.P.W.
Love to all at Leighwood
& Uncle Tom's
James P. Williams, 1844-1893, 1st Regt. Va. Artillery and Maryland Volunteers, Chesapeake Artillery.
MSS 490
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