Hd Quarters 3d
Brigade Jacksons Division
November 7”
1862 --------
My own dear Jennie
As my boy Jim would say, winter has certainly
commenced. It is now snowing fast & steadily and
that too after
a very cold night. And the worst part of it is that we have
in the brigade under my
command not less than 175 men
in their bare feet a large number are without overcoats and
many are deficient in
blankets. I am doing everything in
my power to remidy [sic] the
evil, but with the scarcity of
supplies now in the
possession of the Government and
the negligence of quarter
masters I find myself able to
accomplish but little. It seems to me that if the people
at home were advised as to
our condition they would
not hesitate a moment, but go
to work at once and
form Relief Societies through
whose aid we could in
less than a week be
supplied. I dont know what
moment we may be called on to
march. the enimy [sic]
I have little doubt are
moving forward on the eastern
side of the Blue Ridge which
may compell [sic] us to change
our situation also and how
these poor barefooted fellows
are to get along in the snow
I cant tell. My heart used
to bleed as I would read the
account of the sufferings of
the patriot army at Valley
Forge and little did I then
think that the time would ever
come when I would com
mand men in a like destitute
condition. Something must
be done or our sufferings
will be intense.
I dont know on what day Lewis Reherd will re-
turn but when ever he does he
must bring my boots
back with him. George Miller must have them done by
this time and I will need
them very much.
Let me know how Joe is getting along with the
work
I don’t know how you can get
along without a door to
[page 2]
to [sic] the smoke
house. tell me too how Stephen is doing
in
shucking his corn and how
your cows keep up. they must
be fed regularly, or you will
make no butter. The man I got
the sheep from is Peter Neff
who lives near Mellrose and he
said that the first time he
went to town after his return
home & he is there by
this time, he would curry you some yarn
I have no doubt you can get
it by sending Billy to his
house. You never told me whether you had got your
fire place
fixed again or not, tell me
how you had it done. And how you
stand the cold weather in
your little establishment, I am
fearful you will find it cold
enough, almost like
a tent. I am so sorry Lou could not remain with
you she would not only be company but so very
use-
ful to you. Has Fanny got well yet. I hope so, for I
dont see how you can get
along without her. I have felt
very much the need of Billy
since my return, but when
you wrote to me that Fanny
was sick I never in my life
felt so well satisfied with
any act of my life as I did
with that of leaving Billy at
home with you. I ought to
have a boy & will soon
get me one I think. Dr Campbell has
one & has sent for
another & promises me the one he now has
and I think he will suit me
very well.
Friday Night 8½ OClock. It has stoped [sic] snowing but it is very
cold. I succeeded this evening in getting 100 pair
of first rate
shoes for the brigade which I
will distribute in the morning
being 20 pair to the
regiment. but this still leaves a number
barefooted & many are
very little better than barefooted
the men get them at $4½ per
pair. I have to day been
making estimates for every
thing we need but as such
estimates have heretofore
been made so often I have
but little hope of obtaining
much on them. I will be
able to send this to you by
Capt Yancey who goes up
in the morning.
Most
affectionately
E.T.H Warren
Saturday Morning – No News,
very pretty morning
“3d Brigade”, heading -
“the brigade”, line 4; page
2, line 25 – All referred to Taliaferro’s Brigade which then consisted of the
47th and 48th Alabama Infantry regiments, and the 10th,
23rd, and 37th VA Infantry regiments.
“My own dear Jennie”,
salutation – Warren’s wife, Virginia ‘Jennie’ Watson Magruder Warren.
“my boy Jim”, line 1 –
Warren’s son, six year old James M.
“Lewis Reherd”, line 25 –
Lewis H. Reherd, Private, Company B, 10th VA Infantry. He was born in 1829 in Pennsylvania. He was listed in both the 1850 and 1860
Rockingham County censuses as a blacksmith; the 1860 census showed his worth as
$1,500. Reherd enlisted in April 1861 at
the first call for volunteers and by August was detailed as a blacksmith. Surviving military records show that
blacksmithing was his primary duty while in the service.
“George Miller”, line 27 –
George Miller. According to the 1860
Rockingham County Census, he was listed as a 50 year old master shoemaker
living in Harrisonburg. His total worth
was listed as $4,750.
“Peter Neff”, page 2, line 4
– Peter Neff. According to the 1860
Rockingham County Census, he was listed as a 56 year old farmer. His total worth was listed as $13,230.
“Billy”, page 2, line 7, 16,
19 – According to the information contained in this letter, Billy was evidently
a servant/slave of the Warren family.
Based on this new information, it is necessary
to correct annotations previously listed with two other Warren letters. The annotations identifying “Billy” as
William Rolston, Private, Company H, 10th VA Infantry, in Warren’s
letters dated 29 March and 30 March must be deleted as incorrect.
“Dr Campbell”, page 2, line
20 – Joseph L. Campbell, Surgeon, 10th VA Infantry.
“Capt Yancey”, page 2, line
32 – William B. Yancey, Captain, Company E, 10th VA Infantry.
“who goes up in the morning”,
page 2 lines 32-33 – The reader must keep in mind that reference to direction
of travel in the Shenandoah Valley is different than outsiders describe
it. Due to the fact that the Shenandoah
River flows north, that direction – north – is referred to as moving ‘down the
Valley’. Consequently, moving south is
referred to as moving ‘up the Valley’.
This is sometimes confusing to those not familiar with the Valley, but
must be kept in mind when following the movements of the men and army.
“E.T.H Warren”, page 2,
signature – Edward Tiffin Harrison Warren, Colonel, 10th VA Infantry.
[transcript and annotations by John P. Mann IV]
MSS 7786-g
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