1862 June 22 4 1/2 miles of Richmond

                                  4 ½ miles of Richmond


My Dear Father                  22nd June 1862
                     there is nothing
whatever happening along the
lines wh: would interest you.
The lines are close, & sometimes
heavy skirmishing takes place, but
nothing more. All the news I have
wh: it is probable you may not
have, is that General Jackson
is coming down with his army –
to join us. He is said to have
been at Louisa Court House
 yesterday with his army. That
is the only item,I know of, wh:
looks like a fight was expected
soon. I heard to day that General
Johnson is riding about. I sup-
pose it is true & sincerely hope it is.
The evening of the fight, just
before he was wounded, our

[page 2]
gun was just opening the
fight & firing very rapidly to cover
the attack of our infantry,
nearly all of our generals of any
note, among them president Davis,
were stand sitting on their horses
close by us; Johnson’s face was excited
& I thought him the finest look-
ing man I ever saw. McCarthy
started to Johnson to ask him
to withdraw as he was exposing
himself unnecessarily, when
he was checked by the wounding
of corporal Crump of our guns!
Not very long afterward Johnson
advanced farther & was wounded.
But I don’t suppose McCarthy’s
advice would have had much
effect. It is Sunday evening – I
was prevented writing this mor-
ning from writing by the

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moving of our camp & as I am
driver this week it gave
me some trouble – The regular
driver is absent sick or pretend-
ing sickness & the different mem-
bers supply his place – a week at
a time to each man. So to conclude
my letter may be a little later
than usual this time. We moved
only about a mile crossing the
road & passing a little to the south
but further back from the
enemies lines. Our army seems
more busy than ever fortify-
ing. They have fortified the place
I wrote you they were not for-
tifying. We brought “Long
Tom” & some other guns down
& silenced their battery completely
some several days ago. Stuarts        
exploit was a gallant one.

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I see the Lunenburg cavalry
was with him. I wonder how
Lan liked it. Is there not some
mistake about a company
from Lunenburg being  dis-
banded for want of arms?
My opinion is that the  govermt.
can furnish arms to every
man they can get. Our army
is well armed – a great many
improved arms among them.
It is said that Pryor’s brigade
did not come up to expectation.
Indeed that Huger’s entire di-
vision did not its duty. Huger      
is blamed. It is said he was
ordered to begin the fight
on the right at six A.M. but
he did not so until about
eleven. I don’t suppose any blame
could be attached to Pryor.

[Written upside down on the top of page 4]
Do not send any more paper in
your letters until I write for it.

[Written upside down on the top of page 3.]
I got hold of my knapsack a few
days ago, but it was badly rifled. Of

[Written upside down on the top of page 2.]
all outer clothes & socks. Drawers & a few
articles alone were left. In it I found
some paper. I have not time to write

[Written upside down on the top of page 1.]
anymore. Give my best love to all.
My dear Father farewell. Affly yr son,
                       W.H. Perry

William H. Perry, Jr., 1836-1915, of the Richmond Howitzers, after the war a Virginia lawyer


[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d