Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The enemy have considerable force some thirty or forty miles from us, amounting possibly to 30,000 men.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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August 3, 1862. For some days I have been expecting that every mail would bring me a letter from home, but have been disappointed. I am sure a letter is on the way, and that you would not suffer two weeks to pass without writing to me. I wrote to you some ten days ago, [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The troops are drilling, and there is every indication that the troops will rest here for some time.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Camp near Gordonsville, July 23, 1862. I reached here on yesterday, and now hold the place which I had when I left–volunteer aide to Gen. Jackson. The position is very agreeable, and the only objection to it is that I draw no pay and pay my own expenses. I feel quite at home, and am [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“We have not yet had an election in our regiment for field officers, and I feel more unsettled than ever before.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Friday, May 16, 1862. I don’t know where to date my letter. We left Highland yesterday, and are now on the road to Harrisonburg, seven or eight miles from the Augusta line. We have had three days’ rain, and still a cloudy sky threatening more rain. The road is now very bad, and as every [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The fight began late in the evening in an unexpected attack from the enemy, and lasted about an hour.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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McDowell, May 9, 1862. Before this reaches you, you will have heard alarming rumors of the fight on yesterday, and feel, I know, much anxiety for my safety. I was not hurt, for the reason that I was not in the fight. No part of our brigade was engaged, the enemy being whipped off the [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“I do not think we had over 2500 men engaged, whilst the enemy probably had four times the number, consisting, for the most part, of troops which have been in service for the last year under Rosecrans in Western Virginia”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Bivouac near Woodstock, April 1, 1862. Last Thursday I received an order from Gen. Jackson to take charge of four companies and report to Col. Ashby for duty on the advance-guard. I go down occasionally to take a view of the enemy’s pickets, but most of the time have been lying idle. The enemy are [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“On Tuesday evening the long roll was beaten again, and we took our position, the enemy having advanced his whole force within two or three miles of us.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Strasburg, March 13, 1862. I doubt not you have heard of many bloody battles, actual and anticipated, about Winchester for the last few days, and, if you credited every flying rumor, have been somewhat apprehensive of my safety. You will then, I doubt not, be surprised to hear that we have had no fight; none [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“Their purpose in crossing the river is probably to rebuild the railroad. When this is done we shall probably be attacked here.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, March 6, 1862. Your first letter since I left home reached me on yesterday, bringing the welcome intelligence that you were all well, and the intelligence, not less gratifying, that you would not have me stay at home whilst the country has such pressing need for the service of every citizen in the field. [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The enemy yesterday entered Charlestown—in what force I do not know, or for what purpose.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, February 28, 1862. I reached here day before yesterday, and expected to devote yesterday evening to a letter home; but so soon as I got pen and paper ready to commence we had an order to change our camp. My ride here was as pleasant as I could expect. The first night I stayed [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“I think we shall remain at rest here until spring, no one being more thoroughly disgusted with a winter campaign than Jackson himself from the fruits of our expedition to Romney.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, January 26, 1862. We left Romney on Thursday, and after three days we reached, on yesterday evening, our present encampment, two miles from Winchester. To-day I received your grumbling letter of 21st, in which you were bitter over my bad usage in being refused a furlough. The only matter of surprise with me is [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“Two battles would not have done us as much injury as hard weather and exposure have effected.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Romney, January 19, 1862. We left Unger’s Monday morning and reached here on Wednesday, after three days’ hard march on roads as bad as rain, sleet and snow could make them. For some time since we reached here it has been raining, and the whole country is flooded with water. Since we left Winchester three [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“I have handed in my resignation, and whether that will be accepted or not I do not know.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Unger’s Store, January 12, 1862. I was much disappointed in not getting a furlough a few days ago. I could not help but think that as the condition of the weather and the roads had made the expedition from which we had just returned a failure, it was full time to stop active operations, and [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

Letter to Gov. Letcher from Elisha Franklin Paxton withdrawing resignation.

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Unger’s Store, January 12, 1862. Gov. John Letcher, Richmond, Va. Dear Sir: My resignation, forwarded through the regular channel, will reach you in a few days. When it comes to hand you will treat it as withdrawn. I feel much aggrieved by my inability to get a furlough, and by an unjust discrimination made against [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“all hands froze up and waiting for the weather to move.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Morgan Co., January 8, 1862. An opportunity of sending to Winchester enables me to write that I am here in the woods, all hands froze up and waiting for the weather to move. I take it for granted the General will come to the conclusion from this experiment that a winter campaign won’t pay, and [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“…Jackson is not disposed to lie idle when there is an opportunity to win laurels for himself and render service to our cause.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, December 29, 1861. The weather opened this morning cloudy and showing signs of snow, but, much to my disappointment, the clouds have passed off leaving a clear sky and pleasant day. It is not often I wish for bad weather, but when it opens a way for me of getting home for a little [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

No furloughs to be granted–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, December 26,1861. I applied to-day for a furlough, but was much disappointed to find that an order has been made that none shall be granted. I was promising myself much happiness in spending a few days with you at New Year’s, and am much grieved that it has to be deferred–I hope, however, not [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“To-day was very cold,—so cold that we all had to get off our horses and make the greater part of the march on foot.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, December 22, 1861. We left here, on an expedition to the Potomac, on last Monday morning at seven o’clock, and returned again this evening. We lost one man, Joshua Parks, killed by the enemy; and his body, I suppose, has by this time reached his friends in Lexington to whom it was sent for [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“I think most of our volunteers will quit the service when their year expires…,”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, December 15, 1861. Life in camp is generally dull with me, and I feel especially dull to-day. I have sometimes had a job, such as road-making at Centreville or my late excursion to the Potomac, which kept me busy enough; but these only happen now and then, and but for them my life would [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The weather is already cold enough to make it uncomfortable in tents and such conveniences as we are able to provide.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Winchester, December 12, 1861. Last Monday night I returned to our camp here, where I had the pleasure of reading the letters of Mary and Helen informing me that your troubles were all over, that we had another little boy in the crib, and that his mamma, as Mary happily expressed it, “Was doing as [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“a sad disappointment…”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Unger’s Store, December 10, 1861. I made application yesterday for leave of absence, but was informed that I could not get it until Col. Echols returned, who has leave for twenty-five days and starts home this morning. It is to me a sad disappointment, but I must bear it as cheerfully as I can. You [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army

“The purpose of the expedition was to destroy a dam across the Potomac which feeds the canal now used by the enemy in shipping coal.”–Letters from Elisha Franklin Paxton.

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Martinsburg, December 9, 1861. I did not write my accustomed Sunday letter to you on yesterday. I was otherwise busy until 9.30 o’clock last night, when I reached here. Then I was so sleepy and tired, I could hardly stand upon my feet, having been awake all the night before, and hard at work most [...]

Elisha Franklin Paxton – Letters from camp and field while an officer in the Confederate Army