Sunday, August 26, 2012

1862 August 27 Richmond, Va.


                               
                   
                                        August 27th 1862
My Dear Father
                     The monotonous life we are living here
close by Richmond, affords nothing to write which wd.
interest you. The left section ( half) of our company
has joined the division, having procured two little
sic pound pieces. It is still uncertain when we
will get guns or horses. As we get guns of larger
caliber we have to add four more horses to each piece
That part wh. has left is probably in or about
Fredericksburg I suppose; as I hear the division
is there. Our army of course has nearly entirely left
the vicinity of Richmond, very few being left below.
     Pope it seems is trying to do what I have feared
i.e. fall back upon the Potomac. I hope Lee (or Jack-
son, the latter seems to be the moving spirit) will
be able to force a fight & victory before he
reaches there. You know Lee is now in com-
mand of that army. Johnson (J. E.) is still
in Amelia. I have frequently an opportunity
of going to town & of course when I do, attend
the meetings of Congress. Miles of South Carolina     [William Porcher Miles]
seem to have more attention paid him, when he
speaks or gives an opinion than any other mem-
ber. Whether it is because of superior ability or
his position as chman. of the Military Comtee. I do not know.
He is however a man of good judgment appa-
rently. Of small statue & dressed in either a gray
or blue coat: with short gray whiskers. He
speaks slowly & with some difficulty, apparently
that of a foreigener. Foot who is always
up is a short thick set man with bald head & red
face & of a vulgar appearance. Bococke presides
in the house with ease dignity & readiness.

[page 2]
Lyons of Richmond is thought by some to represent
the President – a man of the greatest possible
vanity. A member from Georgia introduced
a motion of enquiry yesterday whether it was not
better to withdraw our commissioners from Europe.
As it was agst. confederate dignity longer to keep
them there & the English Queen having declared
her determination not to recognize us, while
at the same time her ministers admitted we
established a right to it &c&c. The motion to inquire
was unanimously carried. You will see probably
in the papers a statement by a member from
Louisiana of a discovery in his state of salt in
a pure state & inexhaustible quantity, but the
owner he said was not disposed to make
much use of it or appreciate its worth. You
are aware that companies from differ-
ent states are putting up works at the mines
in Washington county. Still I expect you
could purchase it cheaper now than later
when the time for salting bacon comes, if
you could purchase it at all at the works
of which there is some doubt. Our comp-
any has recruited from among the conscripts
at Camp Lee a good many as drivers, so that
our company numbers about 112 now. Until I
leave Richmond do not designate that I belong

to any company in directing your letters or
they will be sent to the Brigade – but simply
as to a citizen = W. H. Perry, Richmond, Va. I have
not heard from home since leaving save
by the enclosed note. If you have written they
have gone to the division. My Dear father
farewell. Sincerely your son
                                                W.H. Perry Jr.


William Hartwell Perry of the Richmond Howitzers

[transcribed by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d

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