1862 Sept[embe]r 30 Near Camp Lee

My Dear Mother –
Your letter came last night – I am very
much obliged to you for the box – whether I get it or not –
The latter is doubtful as we leave at eight this
morning. A friend has however gone to town
to get it here by that time if he can for
me. I am sorry you sent brandy in it,
for several reasons. I never enjoy it in camp
& it does those who drink it more harm than
good. It will however be enjoyed. I am particu-
larly obliged for the socks. I was wishing last
evening for a pair. We lost two men at the
battle of Sharpsburg – one killed – the other wound-
ed & a prisoner. My dear mother I have not
time to write more give my best love father
George & all – We go to Culpepper C. H.; there
we expect to report to a cavalry officer
who escorts us to the army. You must not
be uneasy if you do not hear from me
for a fortnight for while on the march
it will be almost impossible to write.
Most affectionately yr. son
W.H. Perry, Jr.

1862 Sept[ember] 23 Richmond [Virginia]

Sept. 23d 1862
My Dear Father
We are still here – we
worked until 9 o’ck. P. M. last Wednesday
preparing to march the next day,
when orders came from General
Smith ordering us not to go. It is said
his reason was that he is ordered to
send no more artillery to that army.
Our troops from around here
are said to have gone down towards
Suffolk – from which place it is
said the Yanks are retreating.
We have guns, horses etc & are only
awaiting orders in order to march –
Capt McCarthy had filed a petition
for special orders in view of our
peculiar position – to wh: petition
he has as yet received no reply (that
I am aware of) so that the time
upon when we will leave seems to
be as indefinite as ever.
Yesterday the people of Richd. were
very foolishly & causlessly (I think)

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looking as blue as indigo in
consequence of the news from
the army – the general opinion
being that Lee had been whipped.
They seem to have cheered up tho’
in consideration of later accounts.
Our parole system seems to work
badly – the Yankees virtually brea-
king their oath. You doubtless
see the account that their paroled
prisoners will be sent to fight
the Indians, thus releasing as
many soldiers from there to
fight us. The same is done in
& around New York City where
thousands of paroled men are
employed to do what otherwise
soldiers would have to do.
The news which comes in this
evening of the total destruction
of the 10 thousand Pa. Militia, into
whose hands the Yanks said our
whole army was to fall & the
news from the west wh: claims
the defeat of Buell whether it be
true or not has created a good deal
of enthusiasm –

[page 3]
24th I was called off to drill last
evening & could not send this letter to
you – I have however nothing
to add that will interest you – we
are not allowed to visit town just
now as they arrest soldiers regard-
less of passes. – The news from the
West is not as good as was rep-
resented to me before writing
yesterday – but seems good. But I
am not going to bore you on
the subject of the war –
Should the war stop now we would
have a very pretty record to show –
we have paroled I think about
fifty thousand more yankee’s than
they have of our men. We
had at the beginning of the
Richmond fights 5 thousand the
advantage of the enemy. And
since have captured about 50:000
wh: allows 5:000 as an offset to the
yankee captures. We have also captured
about 250 pieces artillery.
You said nothing of Richard in
your last letter. I presume he

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continues to improve. Tell Mother
her shirt was a very nice one &
I keep as a sort of soldier’s
Sunday shirt – Tho’ we are
not quite as much Sunday
soldiers as when you were
down – Being excluded Rrd. &
having two & three drills in a
hot dusty field every day, save
Sunday.
Mr. Yancy sends his compliments
& says he is anxiously expecting
the big news you told him
of.
I am of the opinion that Lee did
not cross the Potomac because he
was whipped but other reasons com-
pelled it. The fact however is a
suspicious one.
I hope my dear father
to get a letter from you this evening
or tomorrow. Give my best love
to Mother, George & all.
25th. I have not yet been able to get my
letter off – but will try to do so to day.
Nothing new that would interest you.
Affly yr son,
W.H. Perry, Jr.

MSS 7786-d

1862 September 16 Near Camp Lee

My Dear Mother

I received late saturday evening

your letter. Richard’s case seems a stubborn one.

I called for my box as early as possible mon-

day morning. Found it had been sent

to camp Lee Saturday evening, but as

it has merely my name & did not mention

the howitzers they did not know what

to do with it. The tomattoes [tomatoes] were nearly

all spoiled & the peaches ditto. Straw was

a bad thing to put them in, in such

hot weather. They would however

doubtless ^ ‘have’ been good had I gotten

them Saturday. I was quite sorry

to see so good a peach lost.

You must not attempt again

to send any thing of the kind.

Ninety nine times ^ ‘in a hundred’ they will be spoil-

ed before I get them. You depart-

ed from my rule in requesting

M. & F. to send them out to me.

I carried yesterday to the Dulle Depot a

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box which they told me would go up

this morning. I did not send it by express

The freight is pd. It contained a big

coat – the one I wore last winter. It was

mostly to save that that I sent ^ ‘the box’, and 8

bottles – one you must fill with brandy

as father promised – 4 blankets – two

pr. old pants & two caps, one old jacket.

These things were better to pack

with than straw & I thought would

be of use to the little negroes. One

(the white) blanket if you will

have it washed is a very nice one.

I gave $6.00 for it in Leesburg – the

other three I got from the Yankeys.

The big coat turns rain splendidly.

Tell father I got another the

other day at the govt. store for 20 dol-

lars, which I am afraid will not

be as good a one. My Bill came to

44 ¾ dollars. Big coat 20, Blankets one for. $10

one for 7. Shoes 4 ½. Shirt 2 ¼. This will however

not be paid until the next time

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I draw my pay & as I expect them

also to draw my 50 dollars bounty

I will not want for money. I will

need these things this winter & will be

so far from Richd. when I want

them that it will be impossible to

get then with our poor means of

conveyance. The govt. seems to have

risen in its prices considerably. We are

however drawing some knapsacks

gratis – I shall carry my old one (if I

get my new one.) & send up with me

Yankee knapsack & coat & vest

which you left with me. You can

put the old knapsack to any

use you see fit. Perhaps by

cutting it up the oil cloth might

be made useful.

I did not see Miss Booker after you

left nor did I think you would accuse

me of being smitten with her.

Yr. comparison of course I can’t

assent to. If you should

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see the one while in Nottoway

you will of course change yr.

opinion. We expect to start for

the army Thursday morning. I

reckon we will start then. We

have our horses & the cannon are

ready but have to be tested today

I believe.

I chose the whig for you also

It gave me a good deal of

trouble to decide. The Examiner

is more ably edited & has more in it.

But I am disposed to think the

less we read of such papers the bet-

ter. And there were other reasons

why I preferred the Whig, or rather

why I did not prefer the exr. tho one

is I don’t see how it can continue un-

less it can get printers soon.

Ask father to write me what he wd.

think of a transfer to the Lunen-

burg cavalry for me? I think in

some respects it would suit me

[continued on the top of page one][

better, tho’ I am very much pleased

with my company. Direct yr. letters to me

1^st H. Co. 3^rd Brigade, 2^nd. Division

Army North Va.

Dear mother farewell my best love

to all Ever affly. yr. son W. H. Perry, Jr.

[continued on the top of page two]

The bullet button on my big coat is

one I cut from a tree on the Leesburg

battlefield where Baker was killed.

The button ^ ‘was’ off my coat so

I made one of that. At Malvern Hills

the coat was lying on the limber chest

by me & a shell ripped the button hole

entirely out I ripped the seam wh. runs

from it some distance & tore it

slightly between the seam as you will see.

[continued on the top of page four]

The box I send is the one you sent

to me time before the last