Wednesday, November 28, 2012

1862 November 28 Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans


         Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans
My own darling   Thursday or Friday 28” Nov [1862]
We arrived here to day & have orders to march
tomorrow morning in the direction of Fredericksburg.  I
was at Frescatti & took supper & saw your father George
David Florence Lam & Het  all well & in fine spirits
I had a good supper and being very hungry en-
joyed it vastly.  I am standing the marching first
rate & am to day apparently perfectly well.  I
hope the change of weather & of water has done
what medicine failed to do.  Capt Byrd and
Mr Effinger arrived this evening.  I met them on
the road and learned that you were all well
and that you were talking of sending Billy
to me.  This I will never consent to in the
world  you must keep Billy for yourself and
I will do very well.  I this morning sent a note

[page 2]
to Col Walker requesting him to let George
report to me tomorrow to act as my orderly
if he grants my request George will bring
Cupid & I shall do very well and so will
George.  Col Taliaferro will probably not re-
turn to the field this winter as I am told
he has been ordered to report for duty in
Richmond – this will leave me in command
of the brigade as long as I remain in the
field.  Lam & Florence told me a good many
little things about you & the children which I
had not heard before & which interests me
of course.  I am kept so very busy my
darling that I have no opportunity to write
long letters.  you must take the will for the deed.
The report here is that the enimy [sic] are crossing
below Fredericksburg  I dont know.
Most affectionately  E.T.H Warren



“Camp on Plank Road near Tom Newmans”, heading – This bivouac was a few miles east of Orange Court House.

“Thursday or Friday 28” Nov”, heading – The day was in fact Friday, 28 November 1862.

“My own darling”, salutation – Warren’s wife, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Waston Magruder Warren.

“Frescatti”, line 3 – Frascati; the ancestral home of Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder.  It is located a few miles north of Gordonsville.

“your father”, line 3 – James Magruder, Jennie’s 70 year old father.

“George”, line 3; page 2, lines 1, 3, & 5 – Jennie’s brother, George S. Magruder, Private, Company C, 13th VA Infantry.

“David”, line 4 – Jennie’s brother, David W. Magruder, Private, Company C, 13th VA Infantry.

“Capt Byrd”, line 9 – Abraham S. Byrd, Captain, Regimental Quartermaster, 10th VA Infantry.  This position with a regiment was officially designated Assistant Quartermaster.

“Mr Effinger”, line 10 – Gerald M. Effinger, Quartermaster-Sergeant, 10th VA Infantry.

“Billy”, lines 12 & 14 – Servant or slave of the Warren family.

“Col Walker”, page 2, line 1 – James A. Walker, Colonel, 13th VA Infantry.

“Cupid”, page 2, line 4 – Evidently a slave or servant of the Magruder or Warren family.

“Col Taliaferro”, page 2, line 5 – John James Alexander G. Taliaferro, Confederate colonel, commanded the brigade in which the 10th VA Infantry served.  He had been seriously wounded at the Battle of Brawner Farm, 28 August 1862, and was still absent from brigade command.

“the brigade”, page 2, line 9 – At this time, the brigade consisted of the 47th & 48th Alabama Infantry regiments, and the 10th, 23rd, & 37th VA Infantry regiments.

“E.T.H Warren”, page 2, signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.

[transcript by John P. Mann, IV]

MSS 7786-g

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