Saturday, October 13, 2012

1862 October 14 Wagon camp near Martinsburg, Va

                Wagon Camp near Martinsburg Va
                          Tuesday October 14th 1862.
Dear Loved Ones,
                             I thank you all for the letters
sent by Jemmie, & for the many expressions
of kindness contained in them.  No one
can rightly appreciate a letter, untill like
myself they have not heard from home for
a month or more.  Mothers Fannies & Sis
Janes letters have all been read daily since
their receipt last Thursday: Their only
fault was that of Oliver Twist's porridge.
I am now wearing, Mary dear, your very
acceptable present; It fits like a charm
& is very becoming with my vest.
I am still at "Kitchen Camp", my mare
being unfit for duty. My Company has
for the last five days been with Gen. Stuart
in a raid into Pensylvania[sic]. It was very
galing to me to have to stay behind at such
at time, but  try to submit cheerfully
to the devices of Providence.  They will be
back tonight, & I hope "Bet" will be able for
duty by tomorrow or next day.

[page 2]
Jimmie has staid here with me most of the
time since his return from R.  Today he
has gone to Charlestown to get the horse
Bro George gave him.  Last Sunday we
rode together up to Camp (the other side of
Martinsburg) & Jo made some remarks &
then read some extracts from the life
of Harrison.  Though the congregation
was small owing to nearly the whole
Regt. being on Picket or scouting duty,
the services were interesting & made
me feel more like Sunday.
Cavalry is certainly a more pleasant
branch of service than Infantry.
In the former there is a better chance
of living well, Keeping clean & of being
in good spirits.  A horse is about
enough care to prevent one from
getting too lazy & on a march he
keeps the course mightily.  On my
way here from Winchester I stopped
a night with McCarthy (7th Va. Inf.) &
pitied the men--right in the midst
of a great army--in a dirty camp
with no tents, while here we can

[page 3]
get milk, buttermilk, butter, loaf bread
apples &c.  Every morning a lady living
near here gives me a whole bucket full
of buttermilk; I have breakfasted with
her three times.
 Jemmie wrote you what a union place
Martinsburg is. The other day when some
Yankee Prisoners were standing on the
wide walk there, ladies(?) were of=
fering to fill & light their pipes for
them, & I saw one give a ring to
one of the Yankee hirelings.  I saw
Miss Belle Boyd in M. (her home) the
other day.  It is easy to tell the
houses of our friends in the town.
A week or two since some of the
Unionists went around with a
brush & bucket of tar & daubed the
doors & porches of all the Southern
sympathizers.  At one place there
is traced in the tar, "Where is Jeff?"
This reminds me of what I saw writ=
ten in a public place of the Taylor
House in Winchester.  Some Yankee vain=
gloriously wrote "Where's your Jackson

[page 4]
now? March 20th 62"  Some Southern
wrote right under "Where was he on
March 23d May 28th June 26th? Also[?]
inside "where, Sept 25th 1862."
But my sheet is filling too rapidly; I
could fill it with incidents and
anecdotes.  Give my love to all the
children.  Ask Annie, if she's forgot=
ten about the little girl who jump
ed out of her skin.
  Why didn't Susan write to me? If
you all did but know how much
good it does J & me to get letters
the mail bags would groan with
them.  Continue to direct to Winchester
    Mary's present to Tom smith shall
be delivered when he returns from
home.  He has been very kind to
me, as indeed all the men have.
My mind is full of what to write--In
deed I have set down but the Alphabet
of what I meant to.
     I must go & graze Bet
          Affectionately
               Charley

[side margin of page 4]
Wed. Morn.  Gen Stuart got back last night, having been as far as Chambersburg
Pa. He brought over 1000 horses.  The men were in fine spirits. They went en-
tirely around McC.s whole army, & near Balto. No loss[?] in the Brigade.

[side margin of page 1]
I have gained fifteen or twenty lbs in flesh since leaving
home.

[side margin of page 2]
Jemmie did not get his horse at Charlestown. he is [dead?]

Charles Elisha Taylor, 1842-1915, Co. F., 10th Virginia Cavalry; later a Baptist minister and eventually president of Wake Forest College.

MSS 3091


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