1862 August 26

[from the diary of John Tyler of Letcher's Artillery as recorded at a somewhat later date]
 
(Aug. 26th)  Up quite early and went with Tan-
_ner to Salem to have my horse shod two
shoes being off.  Left him at Blacksmiths
and went with T & Henry to Judge Norris
where we took breakfast.  Found there quite
a number of ladies, Misses Carter, Scott,

Mc Kenzie & two or three others.  Found Miss
Mc Kenzie was going through to Richmond
in a day or two, who offered to take my
letter on, so sent it by her.  Very pleasant
ladies indeed.  Inhabitants of Salem
knew nothing of the proximity of our
troops until they saw the head of our
column approaching, and such
rejoicing I never saw.  We continued
down the Manassas Gap R R, passed White
Plains, Thoroughfare Gap, Haymarket
& Gainesville, from there struck across
to Bristoe on the Orange & Alex Road,
while Stewarts Cavalry pushed on towards
Manassas junction, but did not go in there
that evening.  At Bristoe we stopped three
long trains of empty cars going towards
Washington & the next morning –

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150