My Dear Father
Your welcome letter came last evening.
We are in the same camp as when last I wrote
&, with us at least, all is quiet. So I have noth-
ing in the way of experience to give you – We are spend-
ing in camp necessarily a lazy life. But possibly more
pleasant than an active one, in such hot weather.
I suppose, from our not moving, that we will be
kept here to await another “on to Richmond,” of the
young Napoleon. I say suppose because everything
is kept secret from both men & officers, even from
the Major Generals. All we learn is through intercourse
with soldiers who have seen different movements.
We know, as you doubtless do, that Jackson has
gone west again. But whether to East Tennessee,
The Valley, or Orange & adjacent country, can only
conjecture. I believe ^ ‘to’ the Valley. We also know
they are working night & day on the “Young
Virginia” in Richmond. But whether it is contempla-
ted to keep here as a defence to the city (McLellan’s
making the James river his basis having
given a new impetus to the Iron plates) or whether
to send her below the obstructions & attempt to em-
barras his army by that means, we can only
judge from what we are as you I was desi-
rous to know if we might not plant batteries
below him & harass or destroy him. I can’t find
out. I asked Captain McCarthy if he were erect-
ing such batteries, he remarked the Yankees
say so. So you see we know nothing. And, as
you, we look to the papers for information
& are equally unsatisfied with the result. I do
not say dissatisfied because I am glad to see
[page 2]
they are able to keep their movements secret. Do you
not think the news from the different battle
grounds is cheering? The ram Arkansas does
not however seem to be as strong as the Virginia
was, as she was perforated once or twice. I have
just this moment heard that 150 prisoners came
to Richmond yesterday taken by Stone Wall near
Orange Court House, so that he must be in
that neighbourhood.
Our loss in the five battles of Richmond on
our side ^ ‘was’ not more than 12 or 15 thousand, This
in killed & wounded. Put Thursday’s fight at 500
Friday’s at 4,500. Sunday’s at 500, Monday’s at 2500
& Tuesday’s at 6 000; gives a total of 14 thousand. The
estimates I make exceede rather than fall short
of the true loss. Upon what data Lan founds
his calculations I can’t conceive. The enemy’s
loss was very, very much heavier. Sunday
& Tuesday (the only two fights that McGruder man-
aged) they resisted with most success. On Mon-
day morning I could stand in one place &
count more dead Yankees than we lost in the
^ ‘whole’ fight of Sunday ^ ‘in killed’. These Yankees were killed by
our brigade ther evening before ^ ‘i.e. Sunday evening.’; notwithstand-
ing they were ordered to cease firing upon friends & thus
silently receive the fire of these friends who
proved to be Vermont regiments. These are
facts, for I saw them myself. I walked over
Monday’s battle field before the sun was up,
Tuesday & frequently afterwards, & know the
Yankee’s lay two to our one & think many
more. This battle did not cease until 9 or
10 P.M. Monday, so that with the means we had &
[page 3]
do use we could not have moved any of our
dead from the field, indeed many wounded
still were there & or course they are attended to
before the dead – first our wounded are cared
for – then the Yankee wounded – then our
dead then the Yankee dead – the dead of both
sides generally being buried where they lay
unless friends take them home or move them
to some tree or their grave is marked, if their
name is known with whatever is most con-
venient ^ ‘&’ or substantial. This (Monday’s) I con-
sider our most brilliant fight of the five.
It was here that Pryor’s brigade fought so
gallantly. Tuesday’s fight was almost a disas-
ter. to us, yet the Yankees loss was much heav-
ier even here I think than ours. I did not go
over the battle field until wounded were re-
moved & nearly all the dead buried. But many of
my company did – they went from camp with
the impression that they would see many more dead
friends than enemies – they came back saying
there were more dead Yankees; some one who
thought they were about equal. And this ex-
cluded a collection of dead of from 500 – 1,000
the enemy & placed far from the field, wh:
full[?] was reported in a reliable form. I think it is the
superious accuracy of our infantry in their aim
wh: makes battles more destructive to the enemy
than to ourselves. In one place where they took
a yankee battery there were 64 horses killed
belonging to that battery alone. Indeed it is
painful to see the great number of fine
horses killed in every fight, both ours & the
[page 4]
enemy’s. Our infantry shoot very finely – I saw
the top plank on a fence so riddled with
balls that a cat would have difficulty
living behind it. This too you know is about
the right height. But there is one think wh:
I believe would prevent an aggressive move
from being successful. It is the want of proper
discipline in the infantry, this want always
creates a want of reliance on one another. This
renders the troops more subject to panics &
unfit for long stubborn fights. Undisciplined
troops make one charge & ours do make
these charges very gallantly, but driven
back in this charge they will rarely re-
peat the charge or if rendered is never
successful [---] in our army
fall back to the rear; so at times in tolerable
order but oftener as stragglers & can’t be
used until reorganized, wh: reorganization
can be more or less speedy as they have
been subject previously to more or less disci-
pline. This discipline is what saved McLellan’s
army, or if ours had been equally disciplined they
would have been lost to the north. I omitted one
difference which is made generally in burying the
dead. Our men are put in graves, the enemy
often have merely dirt thrown over them as
they lie. I send a Yankee letter – there is
nothing remarkable about it – save that
of the hundreds I have seen it is the
best in composition & far the best in spelling,
about the only one without something hatefully
vulgar. Can you have a pr. of shoes made
& send them to Rd. for m? If so do so soon
[written upside down on the top of page 4)
as you can conveniently. I could I suppose get a
pr in Rd. but they would cost so much more. I
have just bo’t a pr of pants for wh. I had to
give 25 dollars & they are not extra in quality but[?]
[written upside down on the top of page 3]
numbers of the company are paying 30 or 35 in
Richmond for Jackets & pants. I will write when
I wish you to send me more paper. Do you not
think McLellan [McClellan] is the biggest liar in the world? It is
[written upside down on the top of page 2]
said his first dispatch after his repulse above at
Williamsburg was that he had beaten the rebels
along the whole line without the loss of a single
man. It is said he is the son of Dr. Mc’n. of Phila. who is
[written upside down on the top of page 1]
one of the biggest liars in the world. Ask Mother
or Mrs. Smith if they know if this is true of the General’s
father. My very best love to all
May heaven ever bless you
Dear father farewell
W. H. Perry Jr.
MSS 7786-d
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