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Letter from Lloyd Powell (Martinsburg, Va.) to Charles L. Powell (Winchester, Va.)
30 June 1861
Powell Papers - 65 P875, Box II, Folder 5
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In Camp near Martinsburg
June 30/61
My dear Father
Our tents reached here on Friday night, just in time to protect us from the first hard rain which had fallen since our departure from Winchester. As long as the fine weather continued we slept in the open air without any unusual discomfort, & the opportune arrival of our tents enables us to stand the rain very well. We are now regularly encamped here, & as there seems to be a prospect of remaining in our present quarters for several days at least, we have been busily engaged this morning in making our airy habitation
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as comfortable as possible, & have succeeded admirably I assure you. Our fare is not the very best to be sure, but we find it both wholesome & palatable, & very well adapted to camp life. It is astonishing how quickly we become accustomed to a mode of life the prospect of which six months ago would have been perfectly appalling. I now look forward with the utmost tranquility to a continuation in the service until peace is declared. The health of our camp is generally good, & that of our company particularly so, & nothing has occurred to depress our spirits except the accidental shooting of two young men upon Friday evening. A ball from one of Hall's revolving carbines
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passed through the breast of young Dugan from Charlestown touching the right lung & inflicting a severe but not necessarily fatal wound, & then penetrated the lower part of the body of Charles Weaver a very fine young fellow only twenty years old, from Martinsburg. Dugan is said to be doing well, but there seems to be very little hope of the recovery of Weaver. He bears his pain manfully however, & looks forward to his approaching dissolution with the most entire resignation. It is very sad to see one so young, so attractive, & so full of the brightest hopes & anticipations, brought thus suddenly to death's door, without even being allowed an opportunity to signalize his devotion to the cause
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in which we are embarked, & to meet his fate upone the battlefield in defence of his native state. It is much harder I think, to die by the hand of friend that by that of an enemy.
We succeeded this morning in getting a copy of the Balto Sun of yesterday, in which appears the Northern official acocunt of the engagement between Ashby's dragoons & those of the U.S. According to that the odds against the U.S. forces were at least 4 to 1, the loss on their side only 1 Killed & 3 or 4 wounded, whilst the Confederate loss in killed alone was more than 20 men.
This is exactly the reverse of the report of the affair as received by us from Winchester. By this time full particulars of the fight must have reached you, & I should like very much to be informed of them. Have you heard from [Alex?] lately? By the way, in writing to any one of them, I think it would be best to say nothing about my being in the service. Uncle Richd I fear has
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not yet made his appearance in Virginia. I have my little idea that he will visit us until quiet is restored. If he shd come in during my absence, please receive any money which he may have for me, & use , or keep it until my return, as may be most convenient. I observe in the Sun accounts of large peace meetings in several of the Northern States, & am encouraged to hope for a speedy establishment of peaceful relations between ourselves & the U.S. Whilst such a solution of our difficulties is most ardently longed for by almost every man in our army, their determination to resist to the last all attempts at invasion & subjugation seems to be growing
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stronger every day. Many, very many of the soldiers grumble about the severe discipline & the hard fare to which they are obliged to conform & declare that after the war they will never go into the service again, but I have not met with a single one who expressed the slightest desire of leaving the army before the expiration of the war. It is astonishing what a large portion of our army is made up of young men under 21. In my own mess 1 is 16, 1 17 & 1 18, & it seems to be very much the same throughout the regiment, and certainly there never was an army of finer material. The most perfect quiet & order prevail in & around the camp at all times. I fear the troops about Winchester are not quite so well behaved. How is it! Do you suffer much annoyance
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from them? I certainly would not allow them to impose upon me, as they have been imposing upon the people of Winchester for several months. It is only necessary to speak to their commanding officers to insure entire exemption from their importunities. There are always in every company men totally destitute of common honesty, who will not hesitate to missrepresent entirely their condition, in order to obtrude themselves upon private families, & supply themselves with better fare than the service affords. This I know from my own observation since joining the army. By the way, please ask Ma to send down by the 1st opportunity my blue jeans pants which I left hanging in my room. These I have on are decidedly in need of repairs. Hoping to hear from you soon, & with much love to all I am my dear Father
Your Very affectionate Son
Lloyd Powell
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I have written this letter on the back of my knapsack with half a dozen men laughing & talking around me, so you can appreciate the difficulty under which I have laboured in my endeavor to make it readable.
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Envelope enclosed addressed to Mr Charles S Powell
Winchester
Va
Note on envelope face: Please send my suspenders by the 1st opportunity
