1862 July 2 near Malvern Hill, Va.

  Wednesday July 2d 1862
   Camp “I dont know where”
My dear wife
      Since my last letter we have
in three successive days engaged
the enimy [sic] & routed them each
time.  Thus we have had in
six days six fights and
driven McClelland & his hosts
a distance of between 20 & 30
miles.  The fight yesterday was
the hardest & most doubtful
of all & lasted from early in
the morning until two hours
after dark, during which time
musketry & artillery kept up a
continual & terable [sic] roar
our Brigade was assigned the
duty of supporting our batteries
on the extreme left and

[page 2]
were subjected to a continued
fire from 30 of the enimies [sic]
guns, and yet our loss was small
my regiment occupied a position
over which the shells exploded &
the pieces fell in front & in
rear on the right & left &
now & then in our midst.  if
we had been 15 feet out of
this position in any direction
many would have been hurt
but it was only three were
touched  Lewis Knicely of Woodstock
& Wm Bamber of Harrisonburg
were slightly wounded and
Genl Lewis’ son William had
a bruise in his arm  oh my
darling, how good & merciful
God has been to me & my reg-
iment.  How wonderfully he has

[page 3]
preserved us from harm.  Yester
day I could not help but feel
as the missils [sic] of death were
flying all around us that
the Great Ruler of the Universe
was in mercy turning them
from our destruction.  The
fight was terable [sic] & the
enimy [sic] held their own until
the close or very near it.
we had gained only a slight
advantage, except in position
I understand that just about
dark a Division of ours
had gained their right flank
which would have enabled us
to gain an easy victory to
day, but during the night
the enimy [sic] retreated leaving their
killed & wounded in our possession

[page 4]
and I have just been told
that two prisoners have been
brought in who state that
all but two Brigades had
crossed the James River under
protection of their Gun boats
at a point above the mouth
of the James Chickahominy River  on
Sunday the entire force of
the enimy [sic] crossed the Chicka
hominy at New bridge to the
Richmond side  Monda  Sunday
Monday & tuesdays [sic] fights all
occured [sic] on that side.  the
last fight occured [sic] about 3 or
four miles from the James
River & about 15 from Rich-
mond.  I dont know how
many prisoners we have
some say 12000 before

[page 5]
yesterdays fight  the loss
in killed & wounded is in-
deed terable [sic] on both sides, but
much greater on the enimy [sic]
we have captured a great
many supplies & wagons
& over 1000 horses & mules
& a great many Guns &
small arms.  Notwithstanding
our continued success the
enimy [sic] have retreated with
order & each time when
closely pressed have made
a fierce obstinate & gallant
stand.  in fact each time
seemed to require all our
effort to drive them, &
yesterday we could not do
it & we were the first
to cease firing.  I tell

[page 6]
you the truth is they fight
so well that I am sometimes
surprised that they retreat
at all & wonder why they
do, and am all the time
feaf fearful of something
going wrong.  but now
that they are beyond the
James I hope all is right.
  Capt Coffman sends a note
for Mrs Coffman  please have
it delivered at once.  I heard
that you were boarding at
the Exchange.  I am glad of
it, & hope you like it.
 Most affectionately
   E.T.HWarren
We have had very little to eat
but crackers since the fight began
& I have just slept on the ground
with the men, stand it pretty well





“Camp “I dont know where””, heading – The bivouac of the 10th VA Infantry was located a short distance from Malvern Hill.


“McClelland”, line 6 – George B. McClellan, Union general, commanded the Army of the Potomac.


“The fight yesterday”, line 8 – The Battle of Malvern Hill occurred on 1 July 1862.


“our Brigade”, line 15 – The brigade consisted of the 10th, 23rd, and 37th VA Infantry regiments, along with Wooding’s Danville (VA) Artillery Battery.


“Lewis Knicely”, page 2, line 13 – Lewis C. Kneisley, 2nd Sergeant, Company F, 10th VA Infantry.  He was wounded in the shoulder by a piece of shell at the Battle of Malvern Hill.


“Wm Bamber”, page 2, line 14 – William Bamber, Private, Company C2, 10th VA Infantry.  He joined as a substitute on 10 April 1862.  His wound in the head received at the Battle of Malvern Hill was more serious than noted by Warren; it resulted in his absence from his company.  Bamber did not rejoin the unit until 19 September 1862.


“Genl Lewis’ son William”, page 2, line 16 – William M. Lewis, Private, Company B, 10th VA Infantry.


“Capt Coffman”, page 6, line 10 – Isaac G. Coffman, Captain, Company B, 10th VA Infantry.


“Mrs Coffman”, page 6, line 11 – Magdalene McD. Smith married Isaac G. Coffman in 1852.


“the Exchange”, page 6, line 14 – Exchange Hotel, Harrisonburg, Rockingham County, VA.


“E.T.HWarren”, page 6, signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.

[transcript by John P. Mann, IV]




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