38th Virginia Letter Written on Stationery Captured from the 5th Maine Regiment at the Battle of Bull Run! – “THEY SAY THAT OUR FELLOWS DID NOT FIGHT LIKE MEN BUT LIKE DEVILS & I EXPECT IT WAS A GALLANT FIGHT, BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT ALL THIS GALLANTRY WOULD HAVE WON THEM THE BATTLE HAD NOT THE ALMIGHTY BEEN ON OUR SIDE” “A BATTLEFIELD STREWN FOR MILES WITH THEIR DEAD”
This letter was written to the Father of Captain William Townes, Jr. Imagine the father’s surprise when he saw the imprinted heading on this letter sheet. Beside “Head Quarters Fifth Regiment M.V.M., Camp Preeble, Portland, ME”… Captain Townes has added “CSA 38th Regt. Va. Vol. Bulls Run July 29th, 1861”.
- Head Quarters, C.S.A. 38th Regt. Va. Vol. Bulls Run July 29th 1861. Dear Pa, Although I have not received a line from you in about a fortnight, I will continue to write especially as Mr. Morton is here & will take this to you…
- I WRITE ON YANKEE PAPER & AS I WISH TO SEND IT TO YOU AS A WAR TROPHY.
- I WILL TRY – GIVE YOU A DESCRIPTION OF OUR MARCHES & COUNTER MARCHES. WE LEFT WINCHESTER LAST THURSDAY ON WHAT WAS PROCLAIMED A FORCED MARCH TO SAVE THE COUNTRY.
- We marched without tents or baggage & came the first night to the banks of the Shenandoah River, arrived there at 2 o’clock a.m. & laid out with the broad canopy of heaven for our covering.
- WE WERE AROUSED AT DAY THE NEXT MORNING AND HAD TO STRIP & WADE THE RIVER WHICH WAS A VERY AMUSING THOUGH NOT A VERY AGREEABLE OPERATION ON AN EMPTY STOMACH.
- We continued our march until about 2 p.m. at which time we arrived at Piedmont a small place on the Manassas Gap R. R. at which place we halted until Monday. After marching us until we could hardly march at all, we had to wait three days before we could move & the fight came off the day before we got here & we only got out tents & baggage on yesterday & I had not had any clean clothes from the time we left Winchester until we got our things yesterday, except a pair of socks which I borrowed from one of my men, and you can very well imagine how nasty stinking & dirty I was, but I don’t sweat so much as I used to for this life has taken me down very much.
- I have fallen off about five or six inches in the girth & have decreased generally, and if times are not improved in the eating line, I fear that I shall have to get me a new wardrobe for my pants that were so small that I could not move with ease in when I started are now as loose as an old shoe & I have buckled them up almost as tight as I can.
- We got to Masassas the day after the fight after riding in an open car in the rain and were put out then in a heavy rain (but that made no difference for we were all wet) & marched through a heavy rain with mud & water an inch deep.
- A part of the way out to this place six miles & when we got here we had nothing to eat and nothing to wear & from that time until yesterday we have been dirty. I expect you have seen more full accounts of the fight than I can give you.
- FROM ALL I CAN LEARN THE YANKEES MADE THE BEST FIGHT THAT HAS EVER BEEN MADE BY THEM FROM THE LANDING OF THE PILGRIMS UP TO THIS TIME INDEED. IT IS CONCEIVED ON ALL SIDES THAT THEY FOUGHT WELL…
- …THEY SAY THAT OUR FELLOWS DID NOT FIGHT LIKE MEN BUT LIKE DEVILS & I EXPECT IT WAS A GALLANT FIGHT, BUT I DO NOT THINK THAT ALL THIS GALLANTRY WOULD HAVE WON THEM THE BATTLE HAD NOT THE ALMIGHTY BEEN ON OUR SIDE for their members were so far superior to ours that they might have overcome us, & then all agree that they fought well & many think that they were more skillfully fought than our men indeed.
- Many say that the attack was a masterpiece of Generalship & they had three to one. I say when we look at all these things & see so many in their favor, & YET SEE A BATTLEFIELD STREWN FOR MILES WITH THEIR DEAD, IT MAKES MY HEART TURN WITH SINCERE GRATITUDE TO THE GOD OF BATTLES FOR HIS RIGHT HAND HAS GIVEN OUR ENEMIES INTO OUR HAND.
- Their loss is tremendous & is estimated at from 10 to 20,000. THEIR KILLED ARE NOT YET ALL BURIED. Our loss is estimated too low by our people. I think my own Impression is that our killed & wounded will amount to 2,500, say 500 killed & 2,000 wounded, & I heard a very intelligent gentleman (Dr. Lewis from Charlotte) say that he had come to see the effects of the fight & that he had been around to see a great many of our wounded & that he thinks at least half of them will die, & if that is the case, our loss will not fall far short of 2,000 for many of them who get over their wounds will be disabled for life.
- We are now advancing toward Washington city. I can’t say where we are going or when we will meet the enemy, but I think that it is the purpose of the higher powers to carry in the war into Africa, & if we are so fortunate as to take Arlington Heights, the enemy will either capitulate or become so exasperated as to make this an intimitable war for if we get Arlington Heights, Washington City is ours, but I fear that the Heights will make us pay a very high price for the Federal capitol, but IF WE HAD ONLY HAVE PURSUED THE ENEMY ON THE DAY OF BATTLE, WE COULD HAVE DRIVEN THEM ANYWHERE WE CHOSE FOR THEY WERE PANIC STRICKEN, & I heard that they went into Alexandria in squads of ten & twenty & that they commenced crossing the bridge & after they raised the draw, they seized the boats & could only be stopped from crossing by firing upon them from the Washington side, so if we had have had 10,000 fresh troops, we would have taken anything we wanted.
- Major Carrington has just come in & told us that he wanted a clerk to send up to Col. Forney who is acting Brig. Gene. now as Genl. Smith was wounded and has offered its place to Robert & he has accepted the appointment which I think suits him much better than his present position.
- I have sent you a Yankee prisoner by Adams express in the shape of a little black dog, which I took prisoner the day after I got here. He has U. S. branded on his right thigh & is unquestionably a Yankee. I will thank you to keep him for my little Willie until my family comes back from Charlotte.
- I send you by Mr. Morton a Yankee canteen with a shot hole through it which came from the battlefield & some minnie & musket balls & some canister shot which will be valuable on account of the place they came from.
- I was perfectly delighted to see Mr. Morton for it has been so long since I saw a face from home that it made me feel like something warm & glowing had sprung up in my heart & I clasped his hand as if it had been some object that I had ever loved for no one can know how delighted they will feel at seeing a familiar face until they have been alone with one set of faces for a long time. I am uneasy about Tom. We left him at Winchester & I heard yesterday that he was better, but that he had taken up the idea that he was obliged to die, & I think some one from home ought to go & see him for none of us can get permission to go & if he is not attended to I fear he may die in fact.
- We have a good deal of measles in our camp, but none very ill I think. I heard from Mr. Rawlins a few days ago. Write soon. My love to all. God bless you, my dear father & save us all in Heaven is the prayer of your affectionate son. Wm. Townes, Jr.
A wonderful, informative letter about the first major battle in the Civil War. Condition is very fine with minor staining.
#L7-29-61 VA – Price $1,195
