My dear Little Nannie:
I have received none from you since
yours of the 16th
Nothing of interest has transpired here since
my last except that on yesterday a fight occurred near
Drainsville about twelve miles from here and nearly equidistant
from Leesburg & Washington between four regiments of our men
(1st Car, 1 Ky., 1 Ala, 1 Md. & the 11th Va) and about ten regiments of
Yankees after a fight of about one hour our troops being
overpowered were compelled to leave the field (in good order)
with about 6 killed & 100 wounded in the hands of the enemy
nobody from Lynchburg was hurt except one man named
Henry who must have been Killed by the accidental explosion
of his own gun as the ball entered under his jaw & passed
through the top of his head – Only three companies of the 11th
Regt exchanged shots with the enemy - The unlucky or lucky Home
-Guard had no chances to fire – The four above mentioned Regts.
returned here yesterday & met other regiments going forwarded to
do what they had failed to accomplish – It is proper to state
that the Kentuckians bore the brunt of the fight & suffered most –
Clark says he will write soon in reply to his
Mother’s letter – He reported himself unfit for duty because
he “will not be ordered by Folkes” in the absence of Capt Latham
& Lieut Davidson –
Vic Litchfield & Hopkins dined with us to day – We
had fried cabbage & eggs & eggs & fried cabbage all of which was
pronounced good –
The subject of reorganization has died out & now
we are more quiet than when I wrote you about re-enlistment &c –
With much love to all at home & a Kiss for “the Captain” I
am Nannie “Lings” Own
Choctaw
[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]
William A. King, Captain of the Saltville Light Arteillery
MSS 6682
Thursday, December 22, 2011
1861 December 22
[from the diary of Wesley Hammond of the Dixie Greys, Co. E of the 42nd Virignia]
Go down to town and
walk round a while – hear of fight at
Centreville
MSS 5526
Go down to town and
walk round a while – hear of fight at
Centreville
MSS 5526
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
1861 December 21
[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding of the 25th Massachusetts]
Got through guard duty very
well last night. This afternoon
read some. Saw Emily Upton and spoke with her.
Perhaps the wife of Edwin Upton, Colonel of the 25th Massachusetts
MSS 11293
Got through guard duty very
well last night. This afternoon
read some. Saw Emily Upton and spoke with her.
Perhaps the wife of Edwin Upton, Colonel of the 25th Massachusetts
MSS 11293
1861 December 21
[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Played as usual. Thad Alf &
I went out and brought in
two Pigs expect to be paid
off sometime tonight
Wrote letter to Pap
clear pleasant
MSS 10317
Played as usual. Thad Alf &
I went out and brought in
two Pigs expect to be paid
off sometime tonight
Wrote letter to Pap
clear pleasant
MSS 10317
1861 December 21
[from the diary of Francis G. Hale of the 34th Ohio Zouaves]
we stayed at the same
place we did last night
part of the boys went
after a man by the
name of rece he has
som twenty hourses
with him they started
last evening they got
back a bout 10 oclock
they did not get the
horses they had got
to mutch of a start
of us we started after
breakfast to the guyan
falls apart of us went
over to see them and
hear the news I and
another fellow started
for camp we had
lots of fun along the
road we got some ap
ples and our dinner
we had lots of fun
I tell you what we
seene sights two
a long the road we
met a deaf woman
the fellow askede her
how far it was to
the mill she said good
morning sir he said
it louder she told
him then I plagued
him lots a bout it
a going a long the road
we got to camp about
fore oclock in the after
noone got our supers
and was awful tiarr
thoug bully happy
MSS 13405
we stayed at the same
place we did last night
part of the boys went
after a man by the
name of rece he has
som twenty hourses
with him they started
last evening they got
back a bout 10 oclock
they did not get the
horses they had got
to mutch of a start
of us we started after
breakfast to the guyan
falls apart of us went
over to see them and
hear the news I and
another fellow started
for camp we had
lots of fun along the
road we got some ap
ples and our dinner
we had lots of fun
I tell you what we
seene sights two
a long the road we
met a deaf woman
the fellow askede her
how far it was to
the mill she said good
morning sir he said
it louder she told
him then I plagued
him lots a bout it
a going a long the road
we got to camp about
fore oclock in the after
noone got our supers
and was awful tiarr
thoug bully happy
MSS 13405
1861 December 21 Fort War[r]en
Dear frend i take this time to Write
you a fwe[sic] lines to let you know that
i am Well and hope this Will find
you the same We are haveing a good
time up hear We have shifted
our qarters We have a brawl a
bout every night about somthing
ore rother We play darts and kick
foot bal and rase the barrel
and tiem up [?] We have a
one regler drill every day i
got so that i Can go thro
With it prety Well We shall have
to stop up hear all Winter i spose
but We dont Want to but We shall
have to do Want [what?] thay Wat us to do
i have sean all the prisoners that
thar is up hear thay looked
tha had bin drag thro that
plase cald hell
this is all that i Can
thin of at present
you must derect yor
leters to fort Waren
in the car of Capt Draper
[page 2]
We have a had a man
taken With a fit [?]
[?] i got the Weiskey
From yor frend
Lyman Waggot
Private, Co. D, 32nd Regiment Massachusetts Infantry
MSS 8474-z
you a fwe[sic] lines to let you know that
i am Well and hope this Will find
you the same We are haveing a good
time up hear We have shifted
our qarters We have a brawl a
bout every night about somthing
ore rother We play darts and kick
foot bal and rase the barrel
and tiem up [?] We have a
one regler drill every day i
got so that i Can go thro
With it prety Well We shall have
to stop up hear all Winter i spose
but We dont Want to but We shall
have to do Want [what?] thay Wat us to do
i have sean all the prisoners that
thar is up hear thay looked
tha had bin drag thro that
plase cald hell
this is all that i Can
thin of at present
you must derect yor
leters to fort Waren
in the car of Capt Draper
[page 2]
We have a had a man
taken With a fit [?]
[?] i got the Weiskey
From yor frend
Lyman Waggot
Private, Co. D, 32nd Regiment Massachusetts Infantry
MSS 8474-z
1861 December 21 Cavalry Camp Leesburg
I recd. your letter yesterday morning my darling
and my purpose was to have written to you last
night, but I did not get into Camp until late
after a very fatiguing day, having been in the
saddle nearly the whole day from 9 o'clock in
the morning until the same hour at night.
I went down yesterday morning, as officer of
the day, to visit our piquet stations at Belmont
and below that place on the Georgetown turnpike
soon after I returned to Belmont from the lower
station I was informed by a courier that the
enemy had advanced in considerable force
to Dranesville, a small town on the turnpike
about 8 miles below Belmont, I returned im=
mediately, and passing our freight station on
the turnpike below, turned off to the right
and took a circuitous route towards Dranesville
in order to communicate with Col Radford's
piquets on the road from Dranesville to
Frying Pan Church, when I got about half
way some of Radford's men informed me that
Genl. Stuart had attacked the enemy at
Dranesville and that they were probably fight=
ing at that time. I dashed off towards Dranesville
with the view of getting there before the fight
was over and lending a helping hand if necessary,
but when I got near Dranesville I found the
enemy still in possession of the place, and
learned that Genl Stuart, after a sharp
skirmish had retreated. I reconnoitered in
the immediate vicinity of the town, and in
close proximity to the enemy's lines until after
[page 2]
sunset, when we learned from a courier
who had been dispatched by Capt. Pitzer on
the route of our forces, that Stuart had
engaged the enemy, and was then in full re=
treat, having been smartly worsted. Stuart
has with him four Regiments of infantry,
four pieces of artillery, and one hundred
cavalry. We hear to day from a dispatch from
Genl Stuart himself that he has about 1200
men, and that he lost 27 killed, that the enemy
acknowledged his force to be 3.000, (supposed however
to have been not less than 5,000) and that he
killed fifty one of them, the 11th Va. Regt (Garland)
was with Stuart, but I have not been able to find
out, although I have made diligent enquiry, whether
any of them were killed, Latham's battery was
with them, and I understand, suffered considera=
bly, lost nearly all his horses and had one of his
guns badly damaged, and one of his caissons ex=
ploded, this is the latest intelligence we have, and
I fear it is even worse than this, as it is getting
late I will finish my letter tomorrow
[letter of Edwin R. Page to be continued on Sunday the 22nd]
and my purpose was to have written to you last
night, but I did not get into Camp until late
after a very fatiguing day, having been in the
saddle nearly the whole day from 9 o'clock in
the morning until the same hour at night.
I went down yesterday morning, as officer of
the day, to visit our piquet stations at Belmont
and below that place on the Georgetown turnpike
soon after I returned to Belmont from the lower
station I was informed by a courier that the
enemy had advanced in considerable force
to Dranesville, a small town on the turnpike
about 8 miles below Belmont, I returned im=
mediately, and passing our freight station on
the turnpike below, turned off to the right
and took a circuitous route towards Dranesville
in order to communicate with Col Radford's
piquets on the road from Dranesville to
Frying Pan Church, when I got about half
way some of Radford's men informed me that
Genl. Stuart had attacked the enemy at
Dranesville and that they were probably fight=
ing at that time. I dashed off towards Dranesville
with the view of getting there before the fight
was over and lending a helping hand if necessary,
but when I got near Dranesville I found the
enemy still in possession of the place, and
learned that Genl Stuart, after a sharp
skirmish had retreated. I reconnoitered in
the immediate vicinity of the town, and in
close proximity to the enemy's lines until after
[page 2]
sunset, when we learned from a courier
who had been dispatched by Capt. Pitzer on
the route of our forces, that Stuart had
engaged the enemy, and was then in full re=
treat, having been smartly worsted. Stuart
has with him four Regiments of infantry,
four pieces of artillery, and one hundred
cavalry. We hear to day from a dispatch from
Genl Stuart himself that he has about 1200
men, and that he lost 27 killed, that the enemy
acknowledged his force to be 3.000, (supposed however
to have been not less than 5,000) and that he
killed fifty one of them, the 11th Va. Regt (Garland)
was with Stuart, but I have not been able to find
out, although I have made diligent enquiry, whether
any of them were killed, Latham's battery was
with them, and I understand, suffered considera=
bly, lost nearly all his horses and had one of his
guns badly damaged, and one of his caissons ex=
ploded, this is the latest intelligence we have, and
I fear it is even worse than this, as it is getting
late I will finish my letter tomorrow
[letter of Edwin R. Page to be continued on Sunday the 22nd]
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