IN CAMP AFTER GETTYSBURG CAMPAIGN--MILITARY EXECUTIONS--A STRATEGIC
MOVE--RETURN FROM FURLOUGH--THE SEVERE WINTER--SCARCITY OF FOOD.
_Camp near Orange Court House, Va.,
August 10, 1863._
All is quiet here now. When two armies have a great battle both sides
are so crippled up that neither is anxious to fight soon again. The
enemy must be somewhere about, or we would not be here. I do think
there will not be another fight soon, for the Yankees dread us too
much. It seems that Meade will not attack us, and that whenever we
fight we must make the attack. I believe it will be a long time before
we have another battle, if we have to wait for the enemy to advance on
us.
Our long trip lately was very fatiguing, and we all became very thin
and lean, although our health remained fine. Your brother tells me
the Pioneer Corps had a very hard time of it on the way back from
Pennsylvania. He took a more direct route to Culpeper Court House
than we did, in order to assist some of Ewell’s men in crossing the
Shenandoah River.
Wilcox of Alabama is the major-general appointed over us, but he cannot
surpass General Pender, who commanded us at Gettysburg. Pender was an
officer evidently superior even to Hill. He was as brave as a lion
and seemed to love danger. I observed his gallantry on the opening of
the battle. He was mortally wounded on the first day as the fight was
closing.
I have seen letters from some of our wounded who were left at
Gettysburg. They are now in New York, and all say they are treated
well. I had a chance to remain with our wounded, and, had I preferred
to do so, I might have had a very interesting experience. Our chaplain,
Beauschelle, was captured and is somewhere in Yankeedom, and I suppose
is in prison, as chaplains are now held as prisoners, but he is apt to
be released soon.
Our army is in splendid health and spirits, and is being increased
rapidly every day by conscription and by men returning from the
hospitals. Last year when a soldier was sent to a hospital he was
expected to die, but all who come from the hospitals in Richmond now
are highly pleased with the treatment they received. The hospital
sections set aside for officers are admirably kept.
We get plenty to eat now and I am beginning to get as fat as ever
again. Beef, bacon and flour, and sometimes sugar and potatoes, are
issued to us. Dr. Tyler and I have obtained twenty pounds of sugar,
a fine ham and one-half bushel of potatoes, and we hope to get some
apples and make pies, as we have so much sugar. Vegetables are abundant
in the country around here, and I succeeded in getting so much
black-berry pie to eat recently that it made me sick.
Our regiment is on picket duty to-day. It went on last night. The
weather is intensely hot, as hot as I ever experienced in South
Carolina, but we are encamped in a fine grove and do not suffer from
the heat as we would if marching.
The first chance I have I will send you two hundred dollars. You must
buy everything you need, even if calico does cost three dollars a yard
and thread one dollar a spool.
I am extremely gratified to hear that you and George are both in such
excellent health, and I am glad you had him baptized.
_Camp near Orange Court House, Va.,
September 1, 1863._
We still remain quiet in our old camp, with no sign of an enemy
anywhere. I see no indications of our leaving here soon, but there is
no telling. It is unreasonable for us to suppose we shall not have
another battle here this summer. Old Lee is no idler; and, if the
Yankees do not push a battle on him soon, he is almost sure to push one
on them.
A little fellow returned to our regiment a few days ago who had made
his escape from the Yankee prison at Fort Delaware. He traveled all
the way back at night, and during the day kept safely hidden and
rested. He had a most thrilling experience, which was full of just such
hair-breadth escapes and wonderful adventures as I used to read about
in histories when I was a boy, but which I did not believe at that
time. I can believe them all now, for I see just such things occurring
with us almost daily.
My new servant, Gabriel, arrived yesterday from South Carolina, and he
seems well pleased so far. My brother and I had a great many questions
to ask him about home. Billie is just like he used to be--fond of
making fun of people. He wanted to know if Gabriel kissed Malinda when
he left her, and he joked him about a great many things. Gabriel bought
a watermelon in Richmond and brought it to us. It is the first one we
have tasted in two years.
I got a new pair of shoes from the Government for six dollars. Billie’s
shoes are good yet, because I lent him a pair of mine to march in, and
he wore them out and saved his own. Marching on these turnpike roads is
very hard on shoes, and our army becomes barefooted in a short time.
We are living just as well as we could wish. I bought a bushel of
potatoes yesterday, and we have plenty of meal, some flour, one ham and
some rice.
_Camp near Orange Court House, Va.,
September 16, 1863._
For two or three days we have been expecting another fight, and we had
three days’ rations cooked and were ready to move. It now appears that
the Yankees have all gone back and that they sent only their cavalry
forward. We have a very strong position here, and it is doubtful if
they will advance this way. I am inclined to think that we shall
soon begin to maneuver for the autumn campaign. It is reported that
Longstreet’s Corps had orders to move, and it was thought that it would
be sent to the Army of the West. A part of it has gone off somewhere,
and some of Ewell’s troops were also moving recently.
Two men will be executed in our division next Saturday for desertion,
and the entire division will be ordered out to witness it. I have never
cared to witness a military execution, although I have been near enough
several times to hear the report of the guns. Two men deserted from our
regiment two nights ago, and, if we get them again, and this we are apt
to do, they are sure to be shot. There is no other way to put a stop to
desertions.
We have a large number of preachers here now from home, who are
preaching to the soldiers, and we have religious services in camp
almost every day.
Lieutenant-Colonel Hunt’s wife is here to see him. Many others--wives
of privates as well as officers--have come to visit their husbands. I
think this is a very unsuitable place for women. If a battle should
occur unexpectedly, they would all be in a nice fix.
My furlough has not been returned, but it has not had time, and it
would also be delayed by the “rumpus” that the Yankees have just
stirred up. I do not hope to have it approved now, but I am very apt to
get home before Christmas. I have nothing more to tell this time, so
good-by to you and little George.