Sunday, August 26, 2012

1862 August 26 Brandy Station on Orange & Alexandria

        Brandy Station Orange & Alexandria
       Rail Road, Culpeper County Aug 26 1862
I had no opportunity, my Darling, to write you
or rather to put a letter in way of reaching
you, since I left Louisa Court House
Mr.. A.D. Dickinson, who is in the vicinity, tells
me he will leave for home to day and I
shall  entrust this to him.
      We left Louisa Court House Monday
the 18th & crossing the Rapidan at Mitchells
Ford came on the enemy Wednesday
the 20th near Kelly's Ford on the
Rappahannock. Thursday, after some
skirmishing with the yankees, our troops
moved up the River & to us was
assigned the position of guarding the
rear.  That duty we are no perfor
-ming & I can give now no reliable
information of what is going on in
the front.---
Your letter of the 19th by
Sam Price was reced a few days
after it was written. I have
been very uneasy about the
children ever since I read it
& am extremely anxious to hear
from them.  I judge from the
symptoms remedies you are using,
under Dr Lyle's prescriptions
that James has had Diphtheria.
I fear the effects of that disease
on them all but especially on
Harry.  Let me hear as regularly
as you can.  If you write &
direct your letters to Richmond they will be forwarded
to me I think.
This is a beautiful country
we are now stopping in  The
Yankees have stripped it of corn
& bacon and horses.  It is a

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fine grass country, but it has been
terribly desolated by the enemy.
I wish very much, my dearest
wife, I could be with you in your
troubles to aid & give you such
comfort as I could render.
But it is now impossible, & we can
only pray our Heavenly Father to
have mercy on us and on those
who are dear to us.  He will
sustain you, darling, in all
your trials.
I am not able to inform you
what are the plans of our
commanding generals. They
are ahead of us fighting, and
the rumors that reach us are
that our arms are successful.
I pray earnestly that the God of
Battles will hear our cries, will
be with us, & will force our
cruel enemy to acknowledge
our independence & to
treat with us for peace. The
newspapers will give you
more reliable intelligence than
I can furnish from my present
position.
   Kiss all the children for me,
including among, them Mary & Alice.
My love to Mrs Riddle, & kind
remembrances to the servants.
   My health is very good &
I think you may dismiss all un-
easiness on that score.
    Farewell, darling.  I take
you to my heart & kiss you tenderly
over & over again.  God bless you, &
protect you.  Yr affct. husband--John T. Thornton.

John Thruston Thornton, University of Virginia alumnus and Lt. Col. 3rd Virginia Cavalry

MSS 4021

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