Monday, November 5, 2012

1862 November 6 Camp 3 miles from White Post


Camp 3 Miles from White post
  Nov 6” 1862.
My dearest Jennie
  We changed camp yesterday after I had
started my letter to you.  Moving about six
miles in the direction of Strasburg & Front
Royall & yet the same distance from Win-
chester that is about six miles.  My
regiment was sent yesterday morning early
to picket at Berrys Ferry about 5 miles
from this camp & will be relieved to day
being still the brigade commander of
course I did not go with it.  No one can
yet tell what is Genl Jacksons purpose in
so often moving his camps, unless it be
to create the impression on the yankeys
that we have a large and increasing
force, with and that we intend to fight if they
attact [sic] us.  in fact we are just in that situation
that I shall not be surprised at any thing and
try & keep myself prepared for every emergency.  I saw
yesterday the Dispatch of the 3d which spoke more hope-
fully of intervention than it has done for eight months
I therefore still cling to my hope that the detention
of Lord Lyons in England was for the purpose of instruct-
ing him fully & finally as to the future policy of
England & France and that that policy will be
in our favor.  You say in your letter how you wish
for peace & wonder if ever we are to see it together
again.  I know my darling how lonely you must
be at times & how much you desire & pray to see
the end of this wicked strife, but you are not more
lonely than am I.  You are not home sick.  You have

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our dear little prateling [sic] children with you to keep up your
spirits & minister to your happiness.  I am lonely.  Home sick
& wife & children sick and have no remedy for either but in
a peace, giving independence to the South.  And when
will that come, He alone who knows all things and
disposes of all events can tell  I sometimes look hopefully
Oh, so hopefully into the future and think of the time
when this bloody war having ceased & our armies having
been disbanded I will return home to you all and
surrounded by my wife & children I will amid the
scenes of an humble home enjoy a quiet peaceful
Christian life, but then something will occur and
is constantly occuring [sic] to depress my hopes to such
an extent as sometimes as almost to create a fear
that we will never be successful, but this is only
momentary  my faith & confidence in the goodness of
an overruling Providence is such that I never quite
give up.  Have I ever told you how I warm my tent?
I have a Sibley tent, which you know is round & has a
hole in the top, in the center of this I have a small
funnel shaped stove with a pipe running half way to the
top of the tent.  this warms up my tent finely & never
bothers me with smoke.
Evening Thursday One P.M.  Much to my surprise I have
up to this time received no order to march.  when I got
here last night I expected to receive orders before mor-
ning, but as none have been recd up to this time, it is
quite likely that we will remain here at least until
morning, if something else dont hapen [sic].  The Yankeys so far
as I can learn are camped in force on the top of
the Blue Ridge in Snickers Gap.  how many there are
in other places I dont know.  A few weeks ago it seemed
to us the entire McClelland army was in front of us

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opposite Martinsburg & Sheperdstown & above & below
these two places.  Now it appears that very few of
them are in that direction, that the most of their
army marched by way of Leesburg to the eastern side
of the Blue Ridge & thence in the direction of Warrenton
but it so turned out that Genl Lee & Longstreet had
gone there before them & then they stood presenting a
very formidable front to the enimy [sic], while Genl Jackson
continues in the vicinity of Winchester & Front Royall
so that if they (the enimy [sic]) advance against Lee, Jack-
son is in their rear.  a very good arrangement for
us unless the enimy [sic] should sudenly [sic] turn a round with
superior force in which event we may have to advance
backwards in the direction of Harrisonburg, but not
very far.  because if they bring a superior force against
us, Lee will be superior to those left behind & they
will be in dificulty [sic].  I am of opinion Lee will
take quarters south of the Rappahannock & we will
remain about in spots sometimes in one place & some-
times in another.  We have hog killing in the army
to day, and if I had our little sausage machine I
would make sausage.  as it is I must contend my-
self with spare rib & back-bone.  I cant complain of

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of our living just now, we have plenty of butter apple
butter cane molasses & some honey, apples & ginger cakes
but have to depend on beef & camp bread for substan-
tials until we get our rations of pork.  I am very
much freted [sic] about Braithwaite doing nothing, if he has
not gone to work you must do as you said get Royer
to finish up the job.  You can wait.  Has Stephen got
his corn in yet.  The 10” has just returned from picket at
Berrys ford or ferry & it is dark.  The officers report that
the yankeys fell back from Snickers Gap to day & that they
are marching in the direction of Markham which is
the first station on the Manassas Gap RR east of the
Blue Ridge & couriers report that the head of this column
is at Markham.  from this point they can march to
Front Royall or towards Culpeper as they please.  And
I am of opinion that they will remain not far
from that point possibly all winter, but may
really intend to make a general advance as they
say themselves that they are making.
Friday Morning:  All quiet this morning but it was
very cold last night.  I did not sleep quite so comfortable
but am all right this morning.  I must have a servant
Rutherford wont do.  Tell to try & find me either a good
cook or butler Mo affecty  ETHWarren



“My dearest Jennie”, salutation – Warren’s wife, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder Warren.

“the brigade”, line 9 – Taliaferro’s Brigade consisted of the 47th & 48th Alabama Infantry regiments, and the 10th, 23rd, and 37th VA Infantry regiments.

“Genl Jackson”, line 11; page 3, line 8, 10 & 11 – Thomas J. ‘Stonewall’ Jackson, Confederate general, commanded the Left Wing (2nd Corps), Army of Northern Virginia.

“the Dispatch”, line 19 – Warren almost certainly referred to the Richmond Daily Dispatch.  The 3 November issue of the newspaper contained two articles bearing on the question of foreign recognition – ‘The Recognition Question’ and ‘Mr. Gladstone’s Speech’.

“Lord Lyons”, line 22 – Richard B. P. Lyons, British Envoy to the US government.

“our dear little prateling children”, page 2, line 1 – The Warren children were seven year old Lizzie, six year old James M., and eight month old Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson.

“Sibley tent”, page 2, line 19 – This style tent was patented by Henry H. Sibley in the late 1850’s while he was a US Army officer; he later became a Confederate general.  This tent was conical shaped (very similar to a Plains Indian dwelling) and was some twelve feet tall and eighteen feet in diameter.

“McClelland”, page 2, line 33 – George B. McClellan, Union general, commanded the Army of the Potomac.

“Longstreet”, page 3, line 6 – James Longstreet, Confederate general, commanded the Right Wing (1st Corps), Army of Northern Virginia.

“10””, page 4, line 8 – 10th VA Infantry.

“Rutherford”, page 4, line 23 – Archibald S. Rutherford, Colonel’s Orderly, 10th VA Infantry.  He enlisted 10 April 1862 in Company C2, 10th VA Infantry, as a substitute.  He was one of only two men who served in the regiment born outside the 1800’s; he was born c.1797.  On 24 April, Colonel Simeon B. Gibbons, then commander of the 10th VA, detailed Rutherford as a forager; he never returned to duty with his company.

“ETHWarren”, page 4, signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.


[transcript and annotations by John P. Mann, IV]

MSS 7786-g


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