Monday, August 6, 2012

1862 August 7 Camp Magruder


   Camp Magruder  August 6th 1862

Dear Aunt
                         I seize the present
oportunity by writing you a few lines
to let you know that I am well &
hope you may be enjoying the same
blessing.  Henry Wright is not very well
he has been complaining for near two
weeks but he says he feels a little better
to day.  We are camped on Magruders farm
five miles from Gordonsville he is a brother
of General Magruders.  There is nothing of
importance to write every day we hear
reports of the advance of the enemy but they
generaly turn out to be false the enemy
are at Orange Court House 10 miles from
Gordonsville with two very large force it
is supposed.  we  have a considerable
force ourselves some five or six divisions
in all which with Artillery & Cavalry
will not fall far short of fifty
thousand men.  We have just had
orders to cook two days rations with

[page 2]
eight days hard bread and be ready to
march at a moments warning it is so
warm now that it is very laborious
marching, but I hope that the weather
will soon get cooler and we will get
along much better.  We have had very
good living for a few days we draw
flour beef sugar salt rice and sometimes
molasses apples are plenty and we
make a great many pies and dumplings
which though not quite so good as home
manufacture are a very good substitute
We have hear that four thousand of the
Fort Delaware Prisoners arrived in Richmond
yesterday to be exchanged and some of the
company expect Sam Beard & Lieut Wright
to be in the number if they are still
alive as that is the place where all the
troops that were taken prisoner in the
vally were sent.  But I must close
by asking you to excuse all mistakes  Bad
writing &c  Give my love to Aunt Ann Uncle
James's family and receive a large share yourself

                                      Thomas M. Smiley

Thomas M. Smiley, Company D, 5th Virginia

MSS 1807



















No comments:

Post a Comment

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.