1862 October 9 Culpeper C. H.

My Dear Father
We came here last Monday
having laid over one day – Sunday –at
Rapid Ann Station, i. e. where that river
is crossed by the Alexandria & Gordonsville
R. R. We averaged 18 miles a day. The
men did not suffer any on the march
except a few from sore feet. We had
fine weather – one or two days being rather
warm for comfort. Seven miles from
this place we came on the battle
field of Cedar River or more properly
slaughter’s mountain – The battle being
on the foot of this mountain –
Jackson’s position was a splendid one.
The mountain is a considerable one
Its base is open – the sides higher up & its
top covered with woods – in the latter
Jackson had his forces safely massed
& masked partially - & it is of great im-
portance to find a place of safety in
which to put the army when the battle
is beginning & to keep the reserves
near at hand & fresh when wanted.
Not having any such place within

[page 2]
several miles damaged us a good-
deal at Malvern Hills. The finely used
artillery of the enemy generally fills the
country with shell in open country
for that distance. Thus Jackson had
a fine position sweeping the open land
in front with his artillery & able to see
every movement of the enemy. Even
had either of his wings been turned
it would not have mat[t]ered much.
I think it is intended to keep
us here, if the officer command-
ing the front has the power. There
were previously two pieces here man-
ned by infantry companies – They were
sent off this morning _ I suppose
we are considered as taking their
place. The officer has indeed made
some remark indicating or rather
stated positively that he had been
wanting some good artillery for
some time & now he had it he would
keep it. There are here two regiments
of cavalry & three or four companies
of artillery infantry. We have alarms
of course frequently as is always the
case on advanced posts – this is hardly
I suppose such a post. The alarm

[page 3]
we have just had seems to have been
caused by a small body of cavalry 1500
strong & one piece of artillery which is now
believed to [be] 12 miles from here on the
Rap[p]ahannock. Our force is almost
13 hundred all told. Tell mother I did
not get my box – but that one of our
company who is in Richmond & had
not yet come up told me he would
try & get it when he came up – I
expect him every day. If we stay
here any time I will have a few oppor-
tunity of making some lady acquaint-
tances – but I don’t know whether
I will take advantage of it or not.
My mind is so slow that it gen-
erally fails to please ladies. I
don’t expect there are any very pretty
ones in town, but some who from
their position ought to be ^ ‘very’ intelligent.
The people here are quite down
upon the [words lined out] Yankees, who
behaved very badly destroying all
the gardens &c around town & swear-
ing at the women, they made them-
selves particularly obnoxious to that
sex. The country here is a most
splendid one – the soil & rivers resem-

[page 4]
ble Albemarle country very much.
But the land does not seem to be as
rich – however in its present delopi-
dated condition I ought not to judge
it. It certainly does not appear as
well as it did when I passed through
it last spring. We now have our
camp within 150 yards from the
place we spent a week in last
spring. We get the papers here every
day very regularly in the evening of
the day on which they are published.
I am almost sorry I chose the
whig for you – it seems to me to
have become a good deal
duller than ever. You know
however that I never fan-
cied it much. Our position does
not afford any advantages of
knowing the movements of troops
or different plans in view &c.
We have to rely on the papers more
than ever. My dear father my
great regret on leaving Richmond
was that it would place me
farther from the dear ones
at home. I have not yet received
a letter since leaving Richmond – di-
rect to this place. With my best love
to mother & George. With much love
W. H. Perry, Jr.

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)

[page 2]
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

[page 4]
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

[page 2]

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

[page 3]

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

[page 4]

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

1862 August 27

My Dear Father
The monotonous life we are living here
close by Richmond, affords nothing to write which wd.
interest you. The left section ( half) of our company
has joined the division, having procured two little
sic pound pieces. It is still uncertain when we
will get guns or horses. As we get guns of larger
caliber we have to add four ^ ‘more’ horses to each piece
That part wh. has left is probably in or about
Fredericksburg I suppose; as I hear the division
is there. Our army of course has nearly entirely left
the vicinity of Richmond, very few being left below.
Pope it seems is trying to do what I have feared
i.e. fall back upon the Potomac. I hope Lee (or Jack-
son, the latter seems to be the moving spirit) will
be able to force a fight & victory before he
reaches there. You know Lee is now in com-
mand of that army. Johnson (J. E.) is still
in Amelia. I have frequently an opportunity
of going to town & of course when I do, attend
the meetings of Congress. Miles of South Carolina [William Porcher Miles]
seem to have more attention paid him, when he
speaks or gives an opinion than any other mem-
ber. Whether it is because of superior ability or
his position as chman. of the Military Comtee [committee]. I do not know.
He is however a man of good judgment appa-
rently. Of small statue & dressed in either a gray
or blue coat: with short gray whiskers. He
speaks slowly & with some difficulty, apparently
that of a foreigener. Foot who is always
up is a short thick set man with bald head & red
face & of a vulgar appearance. Bococke presides
in the house with ease dignity & readiness.

[page 2]
Lyons of Richmond is thought by some to represent
the President – a man of the greatest possible
vanity. A member from Georgia introduced
a motion of enquiry yesterday whether it was not
better to withdraw our commissioners from Europe.
As it was agst. confederate dignity longer to keep
them there & the English Queen having declared
her determination not to recognize us, while
at the same time her ministers admitted we
established a right to it &c&c. The motion to inquire
was unanimously carried. You ^ ‘will’ see probably
in the papers a statement by a member from
Louisiana of a discovery in his state of salt in
a pure state & inexhaustible quantity, but the
owner he said was not disposed to make
much use of it or appreciate its worth. You
are aware that companies from differ-
ent states are putting up works at the mines
in Washington county. Still I expect you
could purchase it cheaper now than later
when the time for salting bacon comes, if
you could purchase it at all at the works
of which there is some doubt. Our comp-
any has recruited from among the conscripts
at Camp Lee a good many as drivers, so that
our company numbers about 112 now. Until I
leave Richmond do not designate that I belong
to any company in directing your letters or
they will be sent to the Brigade – but simply
as to a citizen = W. H. Perry, Richmond, Va. I have
not heard from home since leaving save
by the enclosed note. If you have written they
have gone to the division. My Dear father
farewell. Sincerely your son
W.H. Perry Jr.

1862 August 26

Dear Mother
Upon opening your letter I found 25
dollars – I have kept it – but only for awhile if
as I anticipate I can do very well without it.
For I can not consent to take thus the proceeds
of your labor. But be assured I appreciate
your kind intention in giving it to me.
I called Friday morning at Mc Kinney &
Duprey’s but they had not heard from you. I
requested a friend to inquire again on Monday
if there was a box for me. He reported it had been
sent to me. I called myself the next day & found the
two notes had been sent to McKinney & D’s which
I indorse: The fellow drove up in a wagon
& got it. I know no such man as [--]
so you see it was a deliberate theft. The

[page 2]
fellow was quick – he got it out the day
it arrived. Was your letter sent by mail? It was
handed me just as it is by Mr. D. having no
envelope. I am quite sorry to lose the contents.
But much more that you should have worked
to so little purpose, & for the benefit of so
consummate a rogue. How the fellow man-
aged to get the note of yours I don’t know.

I am extremely sorry to hear of Richard’s
[this line is in the fold and not discernible]
improve. Write soon. Affectionately yr. son,
W. H. Perry, Jr.

P. S. Tell father that Duprey told me to tell him that
he received three bls. of flourer [flour] from him. It
was injured - sour & was condemned by the
inspector. I saw the [-]. He said he had
not succeeded in selling
it. If there was any molas-
ses he said he could sell
it to make molasses cakes
but there is none.

1862 August 19

Dear Mother
I found our camp
last evening had moved about
the half of a mile north east
of the Camp Lee. There is with
us no more speedy prospect
of getting our guns – One or two
smooth bore 6 pounders we can
get, but will have to wait
until the others are made.
One of them was cast yes-
terday. I fell in last evening
with the funeral process-
sion of Gen. Winder last
evening he is son of the
R[ichmon]d. General – this is the
only opportunity I may
have to send to R[ichmon]d. to day
so Dear mother farewell.
My best love to Father, George
& all. Our camp is a very
pleasant one. We will not


[page 2]
be here less than ten days
I reckon.
Affec. yr. son
W. H. Perry Jr.

[“Brig. Gen. Charles Sidney Winder was frightfully mangled by a shell at Cedar Mt. on Aug. 9, 1862, and died within a few hours.” – Generals in Gray by Warner]\

Perry's "son of Richmond general" is obscure. Winder was the nephew of U. S. Naval officer Franklin Buchanan and a cousin of Confederate General John H. Winder.