Letter from H. J. Grimes - 1862 - Davidson County, NC - Misc. Submitted by Claude Medlin CMedlin@aol.com Camp Hanover Court House, Va August 20, 1862 Dear Brother, Your favor of the 11th inst. has been received and read with pleasure. I was glad to learn that you are all well. Since L.L. Conrad has been taken away I know you must have a great deal of work that should be done, that is impossible for you to do yourself, and about the next news I expect to hear from you, will be, that you are sick, brought about by your trying to do more than nature intended you should do. Since I wrote to you last, as you will see by caption, we have again moved our camp. We came up here last Thursday. We are encamped in a field close to the Virginia Central R.R. How long we will remain here I am unable to say, but I do not think it will be long. It is my opinion that we will again be ordered down below Richmond, or over in Western Virginia to Old Stonewall. From 3,000 to 6,000 troops have passed here daily on the cars for Jackson's Army. Think Jackson and Pope will have a big fight in the valley shortly. There are scores of Marylanders coming on into Virginia and joining our army, to avoid Old Abe's draft. A great many came by our camp the other evening. If the North succeeds in raising 600,000 more men, which she certainly can do, we will have a high time of it, this fall. I am afraid that this war will last until famine closes it. Foreign intervention we need not expect. We have got our own salvation to work out. The worst time, I am afraid is not yet. It appears that the North is determined to subjugate the South if it wins (which it will do), then to do it. It is said that Jackson is going over in Maryland if he succeeds in meeting Pope. When Gen. Stuart left here, a great many of his men were barefooted. Heard some of them complaining about shoes, he told them to be easy a few days for they would be in Baltimore and then they should all have a good pair. May it be as he said. The day after Squire Conrad left our camp our Company got into a fight with the Yankees. Our Company and Captain Caskies', only fifty men in all, while on picket, were attacked by about five Regiments of Yankee Cavalry. There were a good many shots fired on both sides, none of our boys were hurt, but think some of the Yankees were either killed or badly wounded. Some of our boys say that Fate Conrad shot one off his horse. Fate says he fired at him and at the same time his horse made a plunge with him and he could not see whether he hit him or not. The Yankees surprised our boys and got in a few steps of them before they knew there were about. The Yankees and our men got so mixed up together that a good many did not fire through fear of killing their own men. I regret to say in the mele, they took six of our boys prisoners and eight horses, though I think they will be exchanged in a few weeks. Frank Younts was the only one from Davidson taken. They came very near getting brother Tom. There was awful scampering. It is a great wonder that the last one of them was not taken. I was very unwell that day and left the picket about fifteen minutes before the Yankees came. I had not got quite to our camp when I heard their guns. I hollered to the boys to mount their horses, that were left at the camp for the Yankees were coming, which the whole regiment did, and formed a line of battle about half mile lower down, across the road that we expected the Yankees to come up, and there waited for them to come up, but they did not cross the swamp, but soon went the other way. The next day we took seven Yankee prisoners. Our pickets took another prisoner again yesterday. You did perfectly right in agreeing to receive the money on the note I hold against H.L. Conrad and you may also receive the money due on that church note (only half of which is mine, the other half is Henry's as he is there you can keep it or give it to him) and on all other notes that any one may wish to pay. As money is very plenty now I wish you would dunn all those fellows that owe me, and perhaps they would pay up. All of the money that you may receive belonging to me, after paying my tax, keep and let me know, and I will tell you what to do with it. I want to pay every cent I owe as soon as I can, so collect all the money you can for me. As soon as I draw my pay again I will send you some more money. Did Old Mr. Sink receive that money I sent you for him willingly? I want the balance of that $200. note of J. Sink's paid as soon as I can. Everything is so high here that it takes nearly all of my wages to board me. I may have another horse to buy too, for the one I have is getting very poor and may die. There is a great deal of sickness in our Company and there have been three deaths since I last wrote to you. One from Davidson, John W. Waggoner's widow's son. Brother Tom is now sick and I am afraid he is taking the fever. If you think you can not fatten my ox, sell him to Henderson, for what you think he is worth. You know how things are selling there, I do not. Any trade you make will be right with me for I know you will do the best you can. Will Linsay be kept in the army or sent home? I have not heard anything from since he left. Where is Henry? Is he at home in Lincoln? I wish I was in Davidson a while now, to get something good to eat. Here I eat that I may live, if there I would live that I might eat. How many good apples, peaches, green corn, watermelons are there? Oh! It will not do to think about such things here. Give my love to all and write soon. Direct your letters to me at Richmond, in care of Capn. W. B. Clement, Co. B, 10th Regiment Cavalry. Yours truly, H. J. Grimes P.S. I am perfectly satisfied with the results of the election in N.C. =============================== USGENWEB NOTICE: In keeping with our policy of providing free genealogy information on the Internet, data may be freely used by non-commercial entities, as long as this message remains on all copied material. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by other organizations. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material for purposes other than as stated above, must contact the submitter or the listed USGenWeb archivist.