Augusta County: Jedediah Hotchkiss to Sara A. Hotchkiss, August
16, 1862
Summary:
Hotchkiss relates the results of the Battle of Cedar Run, including killed, wounded,
prisoners and arms taken. He also describes the Federal efforts to find and bury their
dead.
Mrs. Sara A. Hotchkiss
Churchville
Augusta Co
Va --
Maj Bell will
please forward oblige --
J.H. --
Sara A. Hotchkiss
Saturday -- Aug. 16th 1862
Near Orange C.H.
My Dr. Wife:
We are now again on the move -- Gen Lee is with us & Gen. Longstreet & a host
of men & I suppose we shall make a big move now -- I have been working very hard
& until quite late, as I have not been able to write you a long letter, as I intended
-- but now while we are lying by the road side, waiting for the army to move on, I will write
you from under a tree My barrel came, but, poor me, the bottom fell out of the pitcher
& the butter all melted & greased the potatoes before they were cooked
& they have since taken the rot and all gone to corruption -- The bread was excellent
-- I gave a loaf of it to the Gen -- who is very fond of light bread. The onions go finely
& I carry them, while on a march to quench thirst they do it admirably. I wrote to you
the day after the battle of Cedar Run -- there was no fighting on Sunday -- we held the Battle
field, gathered up our wounded, buried the dead, collected arms & watched the movements
of the enemy -- we had about 900 men killed & wounded & I see by the late
northern papers that they admit a loss of 1500 killed & wounded. It was a very hard
fought battle and I felt very thankful that I escaped unhurt. Monday morning the surgeons of
the enemy came out under a white flag to carry off their wounded -- who were still on the field
-- & just after they got them a large cavalry force was seen advancing -- Gen. J. E. B.
Stuart (Cavalry Maj. Gen. -- the noted one) who was in our front -- sent word to them that if
they advanced any further he would seize their ambulances -- and -- "Either
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respect
your flag & go back, or come on -- It makes no difference which" They said --
([unclear: Bugard], the Yank Cav. Gen. in command) that
they would go back until they could see Gen. Pope & they then asked for a truce until 2
P.M. which was granted, & they came & gathered up their dead & wounded
while we kept gathering arms upon the same field. When they first came on, one of Siegle's
staff began to gather arms too & one of our officers told him that was contrary to the
rules of a truce & he got mad at it, when an officer of his own army came up &
wanted to know what he was doing & by whose order -- he sd he
was one of Gen. Siegle's men & was gathering up those arms by his order -- he the cursed him & told him Siegle had better send some one there that
was not a d-d fool --. The fellow succumbed & went off -- Many Yankee officers came to
the field & they & our men conversed freely -- Many of them were quite sick of
the war -- They asked to have the truce extended to 5 P.M. -- which we granted -- We then sent
back our baggage train & came back that night, unmolested, to near our old camp. Since
the battle a good many deserters have come in from the enemy -- 12 at one time -- from Western
Va -- they say that many of them intend to desert -- even whole Regiments -- Gen. Jackson
paroled these men & let them go home. One of the 5th
Regt in the fight was met by 3 Yankees -- he had lost his bayonet
& had no cap in his gun -- he clubbed his gun & knocked one of them down (here
he stopped --) & what of the other two, said the Adjutant -- Why I ran away from them
as fast as I could -- There was quite a scene at the preaching which Gen. Jackson ordered day
before yesterday: he had been to
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the 5th
Regt to preaching & was coming back, passing by the
Brigade of Gen. Taliaferro where Mr. Ewing was preaching -- Gen. T -- says, in the midst of a
splendid [illeg.] -- but at sight of the old Gray Cap coming down the road the men all
broke & rushed to the road side to cheer the Gen. as he passed -- leaving Mr. Ewing in
amazement in the height of his eloquence. Gen. Taliaferro says he intends to have Gen. Jackson
arrested for disturbing a religious meeting & a Presbyterian one at that! We took 19
wagon loads & one car load of arms from the battle -- Gen. J. says that is the best way
to get arms -- to go & take them. Capt Lilley behaved gallantly in the action -- he
seized to colors of the wavering regiment waving it in advance of them rallied them &
hurried them on to the fight -- Andrew Newman behaved well too & was wounded in the leg
-- Esq. Gamble lost his right arm & one of the Korncofe's of North River his leg --
Grady, son-in-law of
Humpheys
was taken prisoner it is said -- There is quite a commotion in the 1st Brigade as to who shall command it now that poor Winder is no more -- the officers
some time ago united in a recommendation of Wm Harman, at the
earnest solicitation of his brother, for a Brig. Generalship -- from mere charity they say, of
course not expecting him to command them -- but as soon as he hears of Winder's death they (His
friends) press his case at Richmond & produce this recommendation as evidence that the
1st Brigade wants him -- thus caught, the officers back out &
send a counter petition that they do not want him -- & ask to have Baylor made
Brigadier & so it goes -- My bottle of ink came safely -- & says the welcome
word on it that you are well -- It will be of no use to send any more provisions till you hear
from me, but write through Maj. Bell & I shall get it -- I will write as often as I can
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There is no telling where we shall go to, but our faces are Northward & we
are moving -- I have money but do not see any way to send it -- so get the check cashed that I
gave you if you need any before I send to you -- I will send the first opportunity -- Any of
the men around you will cash the check --
May God bless & keep you all -- I hope to come home, if spared after this move -- Tell the children to be good & remember their Pa -- Tell Allen I hope he will be a good boy & do what is right --
Good bye -- Your aff -- husband
Jed. Hotchkiss
