1862 September 23 Richmond, Va.

                   
                                    Richmond
                               Sept. 23d 1862
My Dear Father
                    We are still here – we
worked until 9 o’ck. P. M. last Wednesday
preparing to march the next day,
when orders came from General
Smith ordering us not to go. It is said
his reason was that he is ordered to
send no more artillery to that army.
     Our troops from around here
are said to have gone down towards
Suffolk – from which place it is
said the Yanks are retreating.
We have guns, horses etc & are only
awaiting orders in order to march –
Capt McCarthy had filed a petition
for special orders in view of our
peculiar position – to wh: petition
he has as yet received no reply (that
I am aware of) so that the time
upon when we will leave seems to
be as indefinite as ever.
     Yesterday the people of Richd. were
very foolishly & causlessly (I think)

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looking as blue as indigo in
consequence of the news from
the army – the general opinion
being that Lee had been whipped.
They seem to have cheered up tho’
in consideration of later accounts.
     Our parole system seems to work
badly – the Yankees virtually brea-
king their oath. You doubtless
see the account that their paroled
prisoners will be sent to fight
the Indians, thus releasing as
many soldiers from there to
fight us. The same is done in
& around New York City where
thousands of paroled men are
employed to do what otherwise
soldiers would have to do.
     The news which comes in this
evening of the total destruction
of the 10 thousand Pa. Militia, into
whose hands the Yanks said our
whole army was to fall & the
news from the west wh: claims
the defeat of Buell whether it be
true or not has created a good deal
of enthusiasm –

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24th I was called off to drill last
evening & could not send this letter to
you – I have however nothing
to add that will interest you – we
are not allowed to visit town just
now as they arrest soldiers regard-
less of passes. – The news from the
West is not as good as was rep-
resented to me before writing
yesterday – but seems good. But I
am not going to bore you on
the subject of the war –
     Should the war stop now we would
have a very pretty record to show –
we have paroled I think about
fifty thousand more yankee’s than
they have of our men. We
had at the beginning of the
Richmond fights 5 thousand the
advantage of the enemy. And
since have captured about 50:000
wh: allows 5:000 as an offset to the
yankee captures. We have also captured
                             about 250 pieces artillery.
     You said nothing of Richard in
your last letter. I presume he

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continues to improve. Tell Mother
her shirt was a very nice one &
I keep as a sort of soldier’s
Sunday shirt – Tho’ we are
not quite as much Sunday
soldiers as when you were
down – Being excluded Rrd. &
having two & three drills in a
hot dusty field every day, save
Sunday.
Mr. Yancy sends his compliments
& says he is anxiously expecting
the big news you told him
of.
     I am of the opinion that Lee did
not cross the Potomac because he
was whipped but other reasons com-
pelled it. The fact however is a
suspicious one.
     I hope my dear father
to get a letter from you this evening
or tomorrow. Give my best love
to Mother, George & all.
25th. I have not yet been able to get my
letter off – but will try to do so to day.
Nothing new that would interest you.
                          Affly yr  son,
                                     W.H. Perry, Jr.

[transcript by Mary Roy  Dawson Edwards]

MSS 7786-d