Wonderful Confederate General’s Letter to His Wife: “Head Qrs. Mississippi Brigade Leesburg, Va. Dec. 17, 1861” – Richard Griffith: “The ‘sober second thoughts’ of the down trodden, heavy taxed and oppressed people of the North must cause a reaction and ere long compel peace measures to be adopted.  As long as the enemy remain in the field under arms, we must be prepared to meet them, and propositions for peace must come from the other side; and honorable terms must be submitted or they cannot obtain a hearing.  Would that this war could now cease!”

This letter written in beautiful handwriting is in nice dark ink and is 4-pages in length.  In 6 months, Griffith would be mortally wounded in the Savage’s Station Battle during the Seven Days Campaign. 

“This is indeed a beautiful country – rich and fertile in its productions, and its citizens planters and farmers generally wealthy – said to be the wealthiest & heaviest tax paying county in the state.  What a pity such a land should be despoiled by the ravages of war.”

“Some of the people in portions of this county are disloyal and are tories to us, and act as spies for the enemy.  Complaints were made to me by good citizens in the upper portion of this county near Harper’s Ferry, that marauding parties of our enemies were in the habit of crossing over in the night and committing depredations in the way of stealing, plundering & burning.  A few nights ago I sent up a detachment secretly after dark to catch them.”

“Encountering a thieving party of not less than fifteen, they captured six of them and killed and drowned the balance.  These six are now in jail here – two of them genuine Yankee soldiers, the other four Virginia tories.  We want to hang them all and are now waiting orders from Genl. Beauregard for that purpose.  We had previously notified Genl. Stone of the Federal forces opposite here, that we would hang all such when caught and wished him to inflict similar punishment on all marauding parties from our side if caught by his men.”

Autographs of the Confederacy lists Richard Griffith as a “Rare Signature”… and our letter, which includes the original envelope imprinted “Head-Quarters Seventh Brigade” is a choice example. 

#L12-17-61 – Price $1,295