Thursday, September 6, 2012

1862 September 7 New Market-Frederick County, Md


                                               New Market-Frederick County
                                                               Maryland
                                         September 7th 1862  5 1/2 o'clock

I wrote you, my darling wife, from Dinwiddie in the County of
Loudoun last Friday the 5th. On this day we marched to
Leesburg, & crossinged the Potomac at Harrison's Island
(where we passed the scene of the Ball's Bluff fight)
marched to Poolville in Montgomery county Maryland.
At that place we fell in with some Yankee Cavalry:
These we ran off capturing Thirty two prisoners
& killing & wounding some.  We went that night
to a point near Monocacy Church & camped.
Yesterday morning we started out & came
to Urbanna & from that point to day we
have reached the place from which this
note is dated.  We have as yet been in
but two counties of this State. Montgomery
& Frederick.  In these counties a very large
majority seem to give their sympathies to the
Southern Cause, and some of the young
men are enlisting in our army.  I trust and
pray that our arms may be attended with
success in this State, that the God of Battles

[page 2]
will give us a glorious victory over our
enemies & thus force them to give us an
early and honorable peace.  I see in this
movement the best augury of peace.
   Gen Fitz Lee has has[sic] just
sent for me, darling, & I must close
my note.  Farewell, dearest. How I love
you.   How tenderly I would fold you to my heart
how warmly I would kiss you.  Love to
the children & kisses.  I am most anxious
to be with you, or even to hear from
you
    I wd write more after I return
from Genl. Lee but the man who is to
[take] this is to leave camp immediately.
                    Farewell again my darling-
I  pray God to protect & succor you.
               I am yr affec. husband
                     John T. Thornton

John Thruston Thornton, Col. 3rd Virginia Cavalry, lawyer, University of Virginia alumnus

MSS 4021

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