June 11. 1862
MY DEAR WIFE
Col. Wheeler who you may recollect to have seen in
Washington, after his return from Nicaragua, has offered to bear a letter to
you, and I have but a few minutes in which to write it.
I am in usual health, though the weather has been very
inclement. The roads to the different
positions of the army could not be worse and remain passable. The long boots
presented by Capt. Keary protect me from mud but the poor horse suffers on
every ride. The Green Brier horse which was to be so gentle as to serve your
purposes is a fretful rearing animal which it is troublesome for me to ride in
the presence of troops. Kentucky is quite gentle compared to Green Brier. The
Enemy is entrenching and bringing up heavy guns on the York river Rail Road, which
not being useful to our army nor paid for by our Treasury was of course not
destroyed.
His policy is to advance by regular approaches covered by
successive lines of earthworks, that reviled policy of West Pointism and
spades, which is sure to succeed against those who do not employ like means to counteract
it. Politicians, Newspapers, and uneducated officers have created such a
prejudice in our army against labor that it will be difficult until taught by
sad experience to induce our troops to work efficiently. The greatest Generals
of ancient and modern times have won their renown by labor. Victories were the
results. Cezar who revolutionized the military system of his age, never slept
in a camp without entrenching it. France Spain and Great Britain retain to this
day memorials of Roman invasion in the Massive works constructed by the Roman
armies. But my dear Winnie I did not intend to give you a military lecture or
to trouble you with my embarassments. From the fullness of the heart the mouth
speaketh.
I will endeavor by movements which are not without great
hazard to countervail the Enemys policy. If we succeed in rendering his works
useless to him and compel him to meet us on the field I have much confidence in
our ability to give him a complete defeat, and then it may be possible to teach
him the pains of invasion and to feed our army on his territory. The issues of
campaigns can never be safely foretold it
is for us to do all which can be done and trustingly to leave our fate to Him who
rules the Universe.
We are reinforcing Genl. Jackson and hope to crown his
successes with a complete victory over all the Enemy in the Valley of Va.
Kiss my dear Children, tell them how much their Father
loves, how constantly he longs to see them and prays that they may be good and happy.
Brother Joe has been to the Hurricane & Brierfield, he
took Joe Mitchell with him I was much distressed when I heard he was going, the
exposure at this season in an open boat was very hazardous. It was from that
cause my Father died, when though of many years, his constitution was sound as
that of many men at the age of forty. This morning I received the following despatch
— date Jackson June 10
“I have just returned from Hurricane brought twelve negroes,
from Brierfield & fifteen from Hurricane, the measles at Brierfield
prevented my bringing more. All came
without compulsion.”
(signed) J. E. DAVIS
Give my love to Cousin Helen. I have no intelligence of her Husband since
that sent by telegram. I have drawn
heavily on the time allowed but hope yet to get this off as proposed.
God bless you my dear Winnie and in restore you soon to the
arms of your Husband.
SOURCE: Lynda Lasswell Crist, Editor, The Papers of Jefferson Davis,
Volume 8: 1862, p. 235-7
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