Wednesday, November 7, 2012

1862 November 8 camp near White Plains Va.

Camp near White Plains Va Nov. 8/62
Dear parents,
         I have been anxiously watching the
mail day after day and week but
not a line has reached me for a long time I have
not recieved a letter from you since you wrote
to me about fathers diging potatoes.  I do not not
know as you have recieved my letters but I
have written nearly every week.  Since I wrote
to you last we have left Md. and marched for
six days across the country into Va. we started
the last day of Oct. we are now camped on the
railroad between Manassas Junction and
Manassas gap the rebels keep falling back as we
advance there has been no fighting except a few
skirmishes between their rear guard and our
advance guard the general opinion of the
people is that the rebels will fall back to
the Rapahannock river and there make
a desperate stand and if possible drive us out
of the state again but I do not think they
will be able to do it this time if they will
permit Gen. McClellan to have his own way
and do as he thinks best.  It has been very cold
here for a few days and yesterday about two
inches of snow fell today it is quite pleasant
and warm again and the snow has all
left us.

[letter of Hiram Cash of Co. K, 5th Maine will continue on Nov. 9]

MSS 12916

2 comments:

  1. Were some of these letters written by members of the Cabell, Massie, Horsley, Loving or Rives families, or Lovingston, Nelson, VA?

    ReplyDelete
  2. Some of these were written by the Nelson County Cabells and the Rives of Albemarle. They are from collections in the University of Virginia Library. For further information please see "Reference requests" under "Our services" on the Special Collections home page.

    ReplyDelete

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.