Beschreibung:

Lot of 17 letters containing much military and Stonewall Jackson troop movement. Peter B. Smith was born in 1831 in Virginia (possibly Northampton Co., as that was where he was living in the 1870s). He enlisted 9//30/61 at Camp Huger as a Captain in Co. K, 39th VA Infantry. He seems to have then moved to the Commissary Corps (per his letter of 16 Dec. 1862), and does not seem to appear on the rolls. In the letter he tells his wife that he and a few others have been ordered to purchase a large number of cattle, have them slaughtered and processed for packaging, and the fat and other remains made into soap and candles. The earliest letter is from Camp Oak Hall, Nov. 15, 1861. He had just arrived and his father was leaving. His first observation is that it took a long time to find a scrap of paper for a letter (add this to the list of things he needs his wife to send him). Add to the list - a blanket, undershirt, bundle of smoking tobacco and short stemmed pipe. He also asks her to find grey flannel to make him an outer shirt (or "buy one ready made"). Like all involved at the beginning, they are sure the war will be short. "...[M]y darling be of good cheer for I feel sure this war will end in six months – and the South, too will have gained her independence – Her Gallant sons are more deeply in earnest than ever – they feel that they are fighting for their homes & firesides – and they are determined to gain this independence or die in the bloody fight. We just heard of the glorious victory of Shiloh- We have not heard all the particulars,…" [Camp McDonald, Ga. June 13th 1862] The rest is mostly family concerns, but one of those is that communication between North and South was nearly completely cut off. Southerners had to find ships or merchants, anyone traveling to the vicinity of loved ones to carry letters with them. From the comments in many of his letters, it would appear that maybe half or fewer of the letters actually arrived at their intended destinations. The next letter in the group, dated June 13th, begins by saying that he thinks there is a chance of communicating by "Flag of Truce" headed to Norfolk. Most of the rest is personal. By his letter of June 24th, 1862 (Camp McDonald), he is itching for a fight. He talks about getting involved if Richmond is attacked or returning to Virginia and finding another company to join. He also reports that he has cut off his beard, leaving only a moustache, albeit a large one. Everyone tells him how different he looks. By autumn he is in Richmond. In his letter of Sept. 12, 1862: "I have been trying to get a situation in the Army or else a place in some of the Departments, but begin to think there is very little chance – Judge Perkins is using his influence for me, and he told me to day I would not hear positively for perhaps 2 or 3 weeks…I believe I will go up in the mountains and be with the boys a short time. It won’t cost me as much as staying here in Richmond. The Hotels charge 3 ½ & $4 per day …." He goes on: "Have not time to write you much of the news. We know a portion of our army has crossed the Potomac and was at Frederick last Monday – but we have had nothing official since then. Of course there are a thousand & one rumors & reports afloat every day, but I credit nothing except what we get officially. "Now is the time for Maryland to throw off her shackles if she ever intends – and she ought to reinforce our army by at least 25,000 good men. I think we have the Yankees in a bad way both in the East & West & if they don’t hurry up with their 60000 men we will clean out the army we have now in field. – I do wish the infernal war was over…" In another letter dated Sept. 16, he notes that they left camp on August 26 and arrived in Richmond on the 30th. Much of the letter repeats the previous one because he is not sure which one (if any) will make it. “Charlie is Asst Surgeon in Bragg’s Army – when I last heard from him (3 days ago) he was still at Hospital Camp near Chatta