1862 February 27 Leesburg, Va.

Cavalry Camp near Leesburg
Febry 27th 1862

My dear wife
I recd. your letter this mor
ning from Petersburg I am very
glad that you are going home
(I suppose you are there by this
and that Robert's condition is so
favourable, Dr Jackson thinks
there is no reason for apprehension
about his recovery, I wrote to you
the day before yesterday and intended
to have written again last night but
just as I was going to do it, an order
came for me to go out upon the
nightly rounds--you know what
that is, and as I was very tired I laid
down to rest and take a short nap be=
fore starting, it was raining hard
and the darkest night I ever saw,
if such an expression is allowable-

[page 2]
it took me nearly three hours
to go to the point of rocks, perhaps
my darling you will think it strange
when I tell you that this side
was, if not an absolute pleasure
at least a relief to me. I have
been in purgatory ever since I
parted with you at Upperville,
I read two letters from you besides
the one you sent me from Petersburg.
I have written to you every other
day since you went away and
it is a mystery to me why you
have not recd my letters, I have
been moping about and had nothing
to write to you except to tell you
of my undying love for you and
my great unhappiness at my
separation from you at this
time, in my last letter (which I
fear will never reach you, tho Tom
Randolph promised either to deliver


[page 3]
or mail it to you at Norfolk)
I advised you that we were in some
excitement here, that Genl Jackson
had called upon gen Hill for as=
sistance, and that the he had determined
to go to his relief, since that there has
been a state of feverish anxiety
here constantly, and more than a
thousand reports, some true but
mostly false have been in cir=
culation, the last and most
reliable information we have
is that the enemy is crossing in
force at Newport ferry. we have
been on the alert for the last three
days, ready to move at a moments
notice, we have orders to night
to have all our heavy baggage
loaded and ready to move back
in the morning. I suppose there is
a measure of precaution, our Col.
is very timid, and I do not think we are

[page 4]
in as much danger as he appears to
think we are, it is prudent however
to err on the safe side, one report
from Harpers ferry, and very indefinite
there is no doubt that the enemy
is either crossing there in force or
making a false demonstration.
Mrs Joyner will come here
tomorrow morning, I shall
try to persuade her to go
and stay with you for a while,
I think it will be a comfort
to you and her both, I am
writing in great haste my dar=
ling, and in the midst of the
hurry and preparation for
breaking camp, I have my
orderly Sergeant that is worth
anything [?] Dr Clark left
and the Capt is in town and never
comes to camp except to com=
plain abut what might have
been done if he had been here.
God bless you my own dear wife. What
ever may be your troubles or your sorrow in this

[cross hatched across the top margin on page one]
[?] I am [?]
you may be sure that
there is [?] [?] in
this world which [?]
[?] [?] ex=
pectation for you--it seems
to me if I could be at home
for a few days only now
with you and our little
children I could be con=
tent for a while at
least--Harrison is
going to start home
this morning and
I shall send this
by him. There is one
thing my darling in your
letter that distresses me
and adds to my anguish
why do you talk of
being [?] if anything
were to happen to you
now I should lose

[[in right hand margin of page 1]
my reason and all hope in this life, God bless you my wife

Edwin R. Page, 1st Lt., 2nd Virginia Cavalry

Page is referring to his wife's son Robert A. Camm, 1842-1892, a midshipman on the CSS Ellis who lost his left arm in action at Roanoke Island in February 1862, but survived and returned to service. He resided in Lynchburg, Virginia, after the war.

MSS 8937