Thursday, September 13, 2012

1862 September 14 Martinsburg, Va.

              Martinsburg, Va.--[hole in paper]  office
                 Sunday Evening, Septr. 14th 1862

Mr. Wm. M. Blackford, Lynchburg
                 My Dear father
                                                I sent you a telegram
after the Battle of Groveton--i.e. on Sunday 31st ult.--
through the medium of a letter to Dr. Fairfax in Richmond
from his son Randolph, announcing my own and bro
Wm.'s safety.  I hope it reached you.  I have
really had no opportunity to communicate with
you except this since my letter from 8 miles below Orange
C.H.  I have more to communicate than I could
get into a quire of paper of this size, about the

stirring and brilliant events of the last 3 or 4
weeks, in which I have been in three battles.
The detail for clerical duty with Dr. Cabell
has reached my captain and after much
deliberating and no little hesitation, I have
determined to accept it.  Some delay must
necessarily occur in my getting off owing to
the difficulty in getting the passes etc. from
Hd. Qrs., all of which I will explain when I see
you.  I expect to see you in the next week or
ten days.  I cannot go into particulars now as
I write in haste.  I had a very pleasant time
in Frederick City where I met many of your old
friends, and was hospitably treated by them par-
ticularly the Ross'es.  Longstreet is at Hagerstown
and Jackson at Harper's Ferry.  I am here now on
detached service with one gun of our battery
    In great haste--Your affectionate son
                                   L. M. Blackford
I have written to Dr. Cabell.  I saw bro. Wm. last a week ago [in Fred?]

[note on address leaf]
I have just seen a friend of the  the[sic] 2d Va.
Cav. Regt. who saw br. Wm. in good health
with Gen. Stuart near Frederick City last
Friday morning--


Lancelot Minor Blackford, Rockbridge Artillery

MSS 5088


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