Augusta County: Clinton Hatcher to Mary Anna Sibert, July 7,
1861
Summary:
On military subjects, Clinton Hatcher describes the hardships of camp life, his anxiousness
to see battle, his contempt for southerners who join the northern army, and his opinions on
military strategy. He elaborates on his views on the inconstancy of women and on his
correspondent's reputation for flirtatiousness.
Miss Mary A. Sibert
Mt. Solon
Augusta Co.
Va.
July 7th 61
Camp Mason
Dear Miss Mary:
About a week ago I stuck a bowie knife about an inch into my leg; the muscles have been so sore ever since as to render me unfit for duty. Yesterday I was sick all day, and you may judge of the feelings of pleasure and gratitude with which I received and perused your long, kind letter which came to hand about an hour ago.
I am now sitting flat on the ground under the shade of a large oak to the rear of our camp
with a sentinel pacing backwards & forwards in front of me; and the paper resting on a
box lid in my lap, trying in some degree to requite your kindness or at least by displaying
proper feelings of gratitude to encourage you, that you may "not grow weary in well doing".
There what a sentence! Please don't criticise my letters
[page 2]
amidst the bustle and
confusion of a camp it is impossible to compose, composedly & indeed it is very
difficult for me to write at all.
I received a letter from Chum last night which I answered very hastily writing him six pages of this size.
I also wrote a six page letter this morning to a friend of mine in Washington who I hear wants to get over to join us. I directed him if he thought there was danger of his letter being opened to answer me in cipher. I can read any cipher I have ever yet seen without the key if it is divided into words.
But notwithstanding that I have written so much as to be already tired I will try and write you as long a letter as you will have the patience to read.
We are now stationed two miles from Leesburg, with no straw in our tents or even in our bed
ticks and have to use bricks for pillows, and I have had to sleep one night with a pair of wet
boots
[page 3]
on. I had of course quite a sore throat the next morning but am over it now.
I have been quite unwell yesterday and to-day, but if there should be any prospect for a fight
I will be well in ten minutes. Some of our men have gone over to Maryland this morning to
reconnoitre. If I had been well enough to march I could have gone along. I will be well enough
in a few days any way. We are only a mile or two from the river and can hear the Federal drums
beat every morning. I hope we will soon be still nearer. I was just starting to town a few days
ago when news came that the enemy were crossing, we were ordered to our arms, sick and well,
and received twenty rounds of cartridges but the dispatch was false and we were all
disappointed.
I expect your brother has met the enemy before this, I wish I was up there. I am so much
afraid we
[page 4]
will be kept here idly in our camp while others do the fighting. I would
give all that I possess for the pleasure of marching into Washington at the point of a
bayonette. I have just heard of one of my classmates, a Virginian by birth who is now in
Lincoln's army. If I see him once a ball from my musket or revolver will settle it if I am not
killed first. Nothing would do me so much good as to take the life of such a traitor to his
State. I have been very anxious to get down to the river ever since I heard that the Washington
Volunteers were stationed near us. I want to meet them more than the misguided fanatics who
have been taught from infancy to hate the very name of a Southerner. We have an artillerist
here who has been all through their camp and gotten off safely every time. He says he can whip
any six men in Lincoln's army.
[page 5]
Well I will bore you no more with military subjects, as I can find others more interesting to myself.
When I was told that you were a flirt I thought none the less of you for I have long since found out that the world seldom judges correctly, and learned to form opinions always for myself. When I form a favourable opinion of any one, what I hear to their detriment, "passes by me as the idle wind which I respect not". I am sometimes rather impulsive and form opinions and attachments without taking the time or pains to examine the reasons for them, yet in the end the opinions seldom prove untrue or the attachments of short duration.
Excuse one more political allusion. You asked if I thought the South should take Washington.
In my humble opinion the Confederate Army should march into Maryland as soon as possible
[page 6]
as long as we act only on the defensive we cannot compel them to grant us a peace. If
Maryland sympathises with us she would wish us to march in and relieve her of the Northern
robbers, she cannot be neutral now and if she sympathises with the North and belongs to the
United States, that power has made war on us and we have a right to invade any portion of her
teritory. If we should attack Washington in all human probability
they would destroy the public property there and leave one thing less in the way of a
settlement. We must whip them before they will do us justice.
It makes not the slightest difference whether you tell Chum of our Correspondence or not; he is a friend whom I would trust to any extent and I beleive is a firm friend of yours. I do wish he was over here in our company.
The persons who told me you were a flirt had no idea I am sure of slan-
[page 7]
dering
you, but of course I could not mention their names, as they did not give me the privalege. But that is your reputation all through Augusta.
The reason of my thinking the ladies changeable and deceptive is not that I have been flirted with or even trifled with but I have been so deceived in ladies characters by judging them from their parlor manners and besides I have been intimately acquainted with so many and known how often they changed their minds, that now I am perfectly convinced that inconstancy is the general rule; while candor and constancy are rare exceptions. Yet I am thankful that there are such glorious exceptions.
I had almost forgotten to apologize for writing to you on Sunday, but here we have no Sunday
or day of rest except when it rains, all days are alike here. We have no preaching and the men
are suffered to go to
[page 8]
Church only half a dozen at a time.
But to return to the former subject, I have never yet been in love. I am afraid to bestow my affections on any lady for fear she may not be willing to requite them with an undivided heart. I might give you a description of the lady I admire most, but fear to do so. Besides I have tried your patience sufficiently already and must bid you adieu for a week. I do wish I could see you once more, it is so much better than having to write.
Hoping that you will continue to answer as punctually as formerly.
I remain as ever most sincerely, your firm friend,
Clinton
