[1862] March 24th

My Dear father

You will see by my letter ^'to George' where
we are now camped. We have been here several
days & will probably remain some time. The soil
is exactly alike the Albemarle red & such highly very
highly cultivated & a fine population. We will
have an informal organization of our com-
pany to day--not having enough members

[page 4]
for a formal one. I believe an informal
one will enable us to send out [?]
The no. of the company reenlisting is between 80 & 90.

[faded and illegible section]

I love you all.

Most affectionately your Son
W.H. Perry Jr.

1862 March 23rd Orange Co. 2 1/2 miles from CH

My Dear Little Brother

I received your letter some time ago
and intended answering it long before this -- but have
been on a march so much it has been difficult to
get paper & time that I could not write. You know
my little brother it has not been because I did not
love you, for be sure always that I love you a great,
a very great deal. I often think of you & wish to see
you. I dreamed last night of a battle which I thought
you saw and were describing to me. But I hope
you may never be so unfortunate as to witness
a battle. We have marched only two
days since I saw wrote to father. And those short
marches, but very disagreeable. It rained all
day one day. I got a letter from father two ^'five'
or three ^'or six' days ago at Culpeper C.H. that is the last
I recieved. Tell hm to direct to me to Orange C.H.
Richmond Howitzers, Seventh Brigade. I would
not be surprised if we stayed here since some

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time, though of course don't know. Father's letter
was dated the 10th. I received one the same day
from cousin Lee. There are no little boys in
camp to play with you, but I wish sometimes
you could be in camp a short time -- to see our big
guns & you could ride as much as you wanted
to for we have our big about a hundred
horses in our company. But when we are
marching they don't let us ride but we
have to walk; Except when we get to a
river & then we ride across & get down as soon
as we have crossed. I don't know why I
don't get a letter from home, for the mails
come to camp every day, I mean the letters. No
papers come in the mails, but a news carrier
brings papers to camp ^'nearly' every day. We thus get
the news though we have to pay 10 cents for
every paper. I told Papa or Mama, one I forget
which, to ask you how "Puggs" was. But you
did not answer. I hope you are not inconstant.
We have no days in camp--but the soldiers

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catch a good many hares. They all begin
to hollow at soon as a hare is started & scare
it so much that it can't run. My Dear brother
good bye. You must study your books as
much as you can -- a time will come when you will
be very glad if you shall have done so, very sorry
if you have not. The country here is very pretty.
Snow is now on the tops of the mountains & has been
there several days -- it looks pretty when the sun
shines on it. Again goodbye my dear brother,
Affectionately
Yr. brother
W.H. Perry Jr.

1862 March 16 one mile of Culpepper C.H.

My Dear Father

I am extremely anxious to hear
from you -- I got last week at the
plains a letter wh: had been lying in
the P.O. several days I dropped a letter
to you in the hands of a citizen as
I came through Warrenton. I had no
opportunity to mail it myself. Indeed
I don't know if this will reach you.
All our mail had been stopped at
Gordonsville & some say there is none leaving
here for other points. We reached here
fri Thursday evening, having marched
exactly one week. The distance by
the road we came was is 79 miles -- We
came a country road until we got to
Warrenton -- We there got into the most

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beautiful turnpike I ever saw -- Wh:
leads to Sperryville at the foot of
the blue ridge in Rappananock
county--there we were farther from
here than at Warrentn. but got
into a turnpike there wh: brought
us to his place. The roads where
there is no pike are almost impassible.
We had very good weather while
marching; only part of a day was
rainy--The longest days march
was 22 miles the shortest 6. the
infantry suffered a good deal--some
of them giving out entirely--We
had no gun or blanket to carry
& got along without any such
difficulty. A little burden makes
a great difference. It has
been raining ever since we
encamped here but seems to
be clearing off. We expect every

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day orders to resume our march
to Gordonsville wh: is I suppose
undoubtedly our ultimate destina-
tion. Johnston's whole army is fall-
ling back. the most of them
have passed us. I left my
two books with Miss Emma Simpson
in Loudon & will not therefore be
able to get them until the war
is over or we drive the Yankees
out of Va. We are of course pleased
with the success of the Merrimac
& the rumored victory of Price or
Vandorn. Did you know that
the Captain Harrison killed at
Donnelson was the Rev. Mr. Harrison
formerly minister in Lunenburg
& afterwards chaplain at the Uni-
versity? General Hill gave us leave
to organize with 25 men--we refused
to do this at a meeting--but deter-

[page 4]
mined to do so if we could get 64 men
we have that is 64 old members--We
have about 61 & tho' every man has
been pretty thoroughly canvassed I
think there is no doubt about our
organization. Johnson's army is a very
small one. I hear that all the
militia in our county are called out.
This is probably true. I am told also
that half the negroes are sent for to
work on the breast works. Do you
furnish any the census of our
company was taken today according
to law, as to who would reenlist--Nearly all
reenlisted. But many do not designate the
company, wishing to go home first. Some
of them will not return to this company.
But generally they will. My dearest father
give my best love to mother George & all.
& for yourself you know you have my
best. When I get to Gordonsville I hope to find
a letter from you--Most affectionately Yr. Son
W.H. Perry Jr.

"Price or Van Dorn" Perry is presumably referring to the Battle of Pea Ridge, Arkansas, which took place March 7 and 8.

The Rev. Dabney Carr Harrison (1830-1862) was chaplain at the University of Virginia, 1859-1861. He was killed in the fight for Fort Donelson February 16.

1862 March 10 1/4 of a mile from Warrenton

Dear Father

I did not write to you at any usual time in consequence
of being on a march & could find no opportunity. this is
our fourth days march on our retreat. I suppose
the whole Potomac army is falling back. A part of
General Kirby Smiths division is now passing thru
Warrenton -- all for what I know. Our entire brigade
left Leesburg Friday. Had three fine days for marching, but
to day it is raining. We march by easy stages. Our retreat
from Leesbg. is not, I think, in consequence of the immediate
presence of the Enemy, but a general contraction of the
lines of defence & is therefore of course without panic
or disorder. to see the spirits of the army one would
not think we were retreating--Especially but alas we
are on a retreat wh: would be unnecessary if the whole
south did her duty, or even if we had no traitors
among us. the Yankees are said now to be in
Leesburg & arresting secession citizens. I can write only
a line. I am writing under some rails covered
with straw wh I have just put up to protect me
against the rain, while so doing & while we have stopped
to have our horses ^'shod' or rather one or two shoes put on.
I have not suffered any from the marches, of course
as they are so moderate. I received your letter
yesterday at the Plains. We came thro' Middleburg -- you

[page 2]
can thus judge pretty well our direction. Our
destination I have no idea of. Some say it is
Culpepper C.H. others Gordonsville. All these are
merely conjectures. Dearest father I have time
to write no more. Give my best love to all.
Yr son,
W.H. Perry Jr.
I can ge[t] no Envelope without this bombas on it.

1862 March 2 Camp Shields

My dear father

Your welcome letter came Thursday.
I am very sorry you should be uneasy about
me. A delay ought not to create any such
feeling; especially when the irregular mail
renders them so constant. I am well.
Indeed I marched four miles yesterday
before breakfast or sunprise & felt no
inconvenience & a few evenings before
ran & walked to gether about the same
distance & back, without any bad result, from
a half an hour by sun in the evening
to 9 that night. The expedition yesterday
was to fire at the yankee boats from
balls bluff as they pressed up the
canal -- But to our disappointment
no boats passed -- The enemy threw
about 20 shells at us while there but
did no damage -- they have good artillerists.
We did not return ^'fire' as we had no gun
of that range in two miles. The only gun we
had was a six pounder -- its range is not
more than 1600 yards. On a field of battle
this is about the most valuable piece -- but will

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not compete with Perrot guns from the
hills across the Potomac. The large gun
which we valued so highly & wh: I mentioned
in my letter bursted the other day -- Our
company has been drilling some Mississipp-
ians, they were fire with it at the time,
one had his leg broke & another was
injured considerably; so none of our com-
pany were injured. the first expedition I men-
tioned above was to fire in a wear-house across
the river -- what damage we did I have never heard.
We fired at first at a light ^'in the house' -- but at the fire the light
disappeared & the other shots were fired almost
at random. The firing at Ball's Bluff (The Lees-
burg fight) seems to have been much more
accurate than at Manassas judging from the
marks on the trees & much more rapid. Every little
thorn bush, of wh: there were many, had many wounds.
Where the enemy landed -- there is a flat about three
yards wide & the bluff, at least 60 feet & perpendic-
ular, overhangs that -- they marching down this
flat until they could get to an easier place
to assend, All the thorn bushes have all the
straight branches cut off: ^'wh: was' done -- by persons
to get a memento. All the bullets were
cut from the trees for the same purpose.
I was foolish enough to cut one from a

[page 3]
tree close by where Baker was killed -- a use-
less relic -- I succeeded in finding one only by climb-
ing a tree, so diligent had the people been in se-
curing them, I got breakfast at an old wo-
man's house with a small yard in wh: five
Yankees were killed & the balls sitcking all
about in the house; she & daughters being
in it all the time the fight was going on.

Our company has not yet organized -- There
was an informal meeting at wh: 30 handed in
their names; but a part of the company
was at Berlin on a scouting expedition that
day. And others did not attend who will
join if we organize. There will not enough
of the present company reenlist to organize
but enough with the recruits wh: we will
be able to get I hope. Members from Rich-
mond say there is no doubt of this. I gave
my name in as a member if they reorganize
& shall reenlist up here even if they do not
I think. the snow has fallen to day
about 2 1/2 inches & looks as if we were to have
more. General Hill was down with us yes-
terday & said the Yankees were at Lovetsville.
I suppose merely a body of pickets. As to
the fort Donnelson Disaster or any politics I

[page 4]
I mean was policts [?] of will trouble you with
no opinions. Save to day. I think the surrender
of 15 12 thousand men unpardonable. They had
when it was determined to surrender from
12 to 15 thousand men. That body, by making
safety their only object can cut through
any body of men -- indeed a retreat seems
to have been possible where no enemy was
in the way. I am afraid the determining
of the two govts. to exchange prisoners causes
more surrenders. Tell George I would an-
swer his letter, but have not the paper.
All our baggage has been sent to Mid-
[written below the line in another hand: "Willies Letter 1862"]
dleburg -- whence I don't know where I
will get Mine. We are still you see in our
winter quarters. I did not go to church to day to
hear Mr. Williams, pleading to myself yesterday's tramp.
But I fear this was not a sufficient excuse. I fasted
Friday a part of the day -- more than I ever did before.
In fact I intended doing so all day but felt a little, a very
little, sick at the stomack & therefore broke my fast. I
read my bible more regularly than I ever did -- I think I try
more than I ever did to be as particular as I can in my whole
life course of life. I hope you could not say of me

"The Devil was sick, the Devil a saint would be,
"The Devil was well, the devil a saint was he."
I don't mean as far as sickness is concerned I wd: fear such an
application, but on account of the danger wh: every soldier
must feel he is a little subject to. For tho' God seems to smile on all
who do as they should, whatever course it does seem to me he wd: love
those best who do so rather from love than fear. My dear father give [?] me to
my dear love to mother, George & all. Yr. Son, with much love W. H. Perry Jr.