Augusta County: J. M. McCue to Lorenzo Sibert, June
7, 1862
Summary:
J. M. McCue writes Lorenzo Sibert to inform him of losses he sustained because of
a hail storm and complain that money he sent through the mail was lost. He also
discusses Jackson's campaign in the Valley, fighting before Richmond, saltpeter
production, the prospect of Federal victories, and mutual friends. In a notable
incident, a letter to a cousin in the Union army from Ms. Pillsberry of New
Hampshire, who once stayed with the Siberts, was found in the streets of
Winchester and forwarded on to McCue.
Mr L. Sibert
Friday Morning 7 June /62
Home
D. Sir
Tho not time to write scarcely a line I will begin a letter to you--little use as
you do not get them what is far worse and more discouraging have not gotten $ in
one--and $20 in another--$70. lost I am afraid--'Tis bad--But this, my fate--all the time to loose--all that to pay the piper let who will dance--and in all I engage
in to expend--pay out--disburse--distribute--create debts and never get
re-imbursed. I am in no happy mood this morning 'tis true--Returned after dark,
last night from Richmond--where I went on the 25 May--and to find my entire crop
of wheat--the most promising I have had for years--Totally destroyed--by a hail
storm on this evening a week ago--also my fruit and trees injured--corn washed
out, land seriously damaged glass broken--in short have sustained a damage of
$3000. What is worse still the infernal Vandal yankees again almost at our
doors. Jackson has had to fall back rapidly before the forces of Fremont
& Millroy from towards Romney & from Shields & Gary from
Front Royal, and the latter are now at Conrad' Store & the former at
Harrisonburg or just before whilst Jackson with his large train of wagons with
the stores & supplies &c captured, with 2300 prisoners is near
Mt. Crawford & the river higher than it has been for 40 years &
bridges all gone there & at Bridgewater--If he has to fall back to
Staunton we may all be over-run yet--when we falttered ourselves two weeks
ago--yes one week ago--we were safe from invasion
[page 2]
Two weeks ago last
Monday Jackson left his Camp in [illeg.]
[illeg.] Perry at Mt. Solon--Wed. morn'g
following crosed from New Market to Luray--there
joined Ewell' forces--proceeded down to Page on last Friday moring--Ewell in advance Captured & completly Surprised the enemy at Front Royal--taking 1st Maryland [illeg.] and part of Vermont Cavalry.
Jackson fell on to Strasburg drove Banks out--chased him towards
[unclear: rich] and fought & routed him again near
Kernstown--drove him thro' Winch & to
H. Ferry & Martinsburg--capturing
immense stores at Martinsburg, Charleston, Winch.
F. Royal &c destroying the Balt & Ohio R
Road & Canal--but how soon have the enemy rallied & chased him
back--& how it is to result--the future determines. I left the city of
Richm'd
Sat.
morn'g--the two armies fronting each other which
that day comc'd the conflict--that continued
until Sunday ev'g--with a [unclear: varied]
but heavy loss to us of near 3000 in killed, wounded & missing--the
enemy's loss not Known, but believe to be heavy--Gen'l Johnson commanded our
right wing--Pres. Davis center--Gen'l Lee on left. Gen'l Johnson wounded badly
we fear in groin & arm and a third wound I do not remember where. Fight
has not been renewed since--I dont know why--but as we are said to have 105,000
to 90,000 of the enemy, I dont know why--as all seemed to be sanguine in Richm'd
that we are strong enough to whip them. The city calm & quiet and no
excitement and not a large number of the citizens had left. Genl Heth has lately met a reverse at Lewisburg and cut up badly by the
enemy--bad management on his part--Loring has superceded him and takes his
forces (Heth's) Genl Marshall and some stragling forces
amounting to about 10,000--and he thinks he is strong enough to clear out the
Kenawha Valley. In the fighting down the Valley our loss was comparatively small
[page 3]
and no one from [illeg.] neighborhood in the number,
that I know of. Your son Jno. was well a few days ago from this circumstance.
Last night on my return I found a half doz. letters,
among which was one sent me by Jno. E. Hamilton from Winchester, containing a
letter picked up in the streets containing this endorsement. "Thinking perhaps
this would be interesting to you, I send it to you. I found it in the street of
Winchester. yours Jno. E. Hamilton and on the other side he says young Mr Sibert
wishes his Mother to see this. The letter is postmarked Boscawen N. H. May [deleted: ] directed to Mr Edwin H. Higley Co K 1st Vermont Cav. Genl Banks division U. S. Army Via Washington--and is from
Miss Pillsberry. She calls him coz. Ned, and says in
one paragraph "The vicinity in which you are gave me a very pleasant home for a
year or two, and it seems like losing old friends (I spell losing as she does--who has been a teacher all her life) to hear of
devastation going on there. I wish I could know if McCue, Sibert, Van Lear,
Hoover, Baylor and a long list more are names in arms to oppose our troops
&c" In another she says "George has just come in to tea & says
give my respect to the soldier and tell him to get me some [illeg.]
buttons. He is making a collection of the various kinds of buttons ancient
& modern &c." I doubt not her interesting relative has had good
chance to collect or will have good chances--as I doubt not he is one of the
prisoners taken by our men, as almost all the Vermont Cavalry was taken, and are
to day being made to cross the unbridged &
swollen run at Mt. Crawford on their march to Staunton from which place he will
be sent somewhere South via Lynchburg. I intend to answer Miss Pillsberry letter
and send it to Harrisonburg, in the hope if the enemy will come so far--that it
can be mailed there--and she will get it--and I guess the reply will be one
somewhat different from what she anticipated. I will send the letter on directly
to your family--I recd last night two letters
[unclear: from] you one da-
[page 4]
ted April 19th the last dated May 29th both came
together--and as this last did not mention the receipt of any money--I fear both
of my letters have been robbed. May 5th enclosed in one to
your wife and one dated 13th of May recd some days ago--no mention of any
money--'Tis strange [illeg.] kind of post master have you at Mt. Vernon.
Is he any more honest than he ought to be? Is there any intimacy between him and
Ross--if so there may be some collusion between them and both will know my
hand-write--and hence may rob & share the profits. I would like to know
all about it, as I do not feel like sustaining this loss. I do feel dissappointed at the small yield of saltpetre
[unclear: per] day of 30 pounds--as I think it a poor, unpaying
business. I have felt so badly about the manufacture that I had not [deleted: ] to go to the nitre bureau when I was in Richmond as I had no
information before--I could communicate, and have felt so much mortified at our
failure as I regard it, that I did not want to see them--Instead of our ability
to send in a few thousand pounds as I had hoped--to pay off our indebtedness first, to find [illeg.] & 30 pounds
going into the hands of the agent--to draw the pittance necessary to eke out a
miserable existence at the establishment--was more than I had the face to stand.
I feel so discouraged I do not know what to say. I some time since had Chas.
[illeg.] McCue of Spottsylvania, bro'
of Mattie, detailed to superintend the manufacture here--if I can--a place to
[unclear: pay] in starting--but he is unacquainted with the
business--and is an energetic, concientious
bussiness man--accustomed to manage hands successfully on rail roads, and can do
so, elsewhere--a pious, correct man of few words--I will bring or send him to
you to get some familiarity with the process & if another cave can be
found that will pay in that quarter and his services will not be needed at the
cave you are at he can find employment elsewhere. I do not know how soon he can
come out--I Jave so much apprehension of an attempt to send gun boats up the
Ten. river to cut off Chatanooga and
Knoxville--as I see threatened by the Federals--and as the heavy rains and high
waters will give them the chance to do--that I am at a loss to know what to do
for the best. The rapid advance of the enemy now in rear of Genl Jackson makes the future here--quite uncertain--I scarcely know what
plan to fix--in regard to leaving home--So [illeg.] if we should fail at
Richmond as we may do and as we have done at Nashville, New Orleans &
elsewhere--'tis impossible to speak of the future. We know not emphatically what
a day will bring forth. Dr. Harris is lying sick in Charlottesville. Elija
started on a second time this morning. Some of his negro family are there and
his black man sick of typhoid fever. He and some of his negroes & stock
have been there some time or they may have. Jas. R. Bell who went to the army
with the militia came home to his father in law some weeks since with typhoid
fever was buried on Friday last--leaves six children. Mr White who has been in
the hospital is improved and was in Staunton yesterday and will probably be
permitted to come up with his wife for a few days--Jno. Earhart went to
Pendleton some days ago--to buy horses--and on North Fork in face of cautions
from several persons he [unclear: returned] down in a neighborhood where
the Yankees have had sway--and no doubt has been taken prisoner--a fool hardy
fellow--I have not seen any one from [illeg.] village--suppose your
family are well--I must close this--as I have filled up
[page 1]
the sheet,
and given you most of the news. Rain all the time and a [deleted: ]couraging time on farmers. I am so much from home--no chance to write--but am
anxious to hear how you get on.
Yours respectfully
J. M. McCue
