Confederate CIVIL WAR LETTER - 21st Virginia Infantry - Fight at Romney, WV !

Description

CIVIL WAR LETTER
CIVIL WAR LETTER -
Co. A, 21st Virginia Infantry
This Confederate Civil War soldier letter was written by James Marshall (“Marsh”) Hamlet (1839-1863), and John William (“Willie”) Hamlet (1841-1863), the sons of James Hamlet (1802-1891) and Sarah Harvey Marshall (1818-1860) of Campbell county, Virginia.
When he was 21, James enlisted on 7 May 1861 to serve in Co. H (the “Appomattox Grays”) , 18th Virginia Infantry. He entered the service as a private and was promoted to sergeant in May 1863. He was wounded on 27 June 1862 at the Battle of Gaines Mill but recovered to rejoin his regiment by October. Late in 1862 he was detached for a time on Provost Duty but was with his regiment at Gettysburg where he was killed on 3 July 1863.
When he was 19, John William Hamlet entered
Co. A, 21st Virginia (“Red House Volunteers”)
at the Red House in Charlotte county on 20 June 1861. Little is included in John’s military record except that he was killed at the Battle of Kernstown on 23 March 1863, left dead on the battlefield. There is more in his file but unfortunately the on-line photocopies are so poor that most are illegible.
Transcription
Camp near Romney [Virginia]
January 19 [1862]
My dear sister Bettie,
As I have an opportunity today I will write you a few lines but have no news of importance. Since my last letter to Pa, we have marched 30 miles and are now within four miles of Romney. We did not march any yesterday and do not expect to move today as it is now raining very fasat. Tom received a letter from sister this morning and also one from brother [James] a few days ago written the day Pa left Manassas. I was somewhat surprised to learn that Pa went to Manassas as I received a letter from brother a few days before stating that he had gotten well. I am glad Pa did not come on to Winchester for we were then near Bath and had very disagreeable weather.
We had quite an exciting time at Bath, but did not get over into Maryland as we expected to do. There were a good many rafts made but whether they were intended to be used in crossing the river, or only to make the enemy believe we were going to cross, I never found out. I was very much disappointed at not getting a view of the Potomac. We were within a few hundred yards of it several times but did not get in sight of it.
There was a fight near here a little more than a week ago between the militia of this county and a body of the Yankees. The militia were routed. A large scouting party went out about the same time from Romney and destroyed a good deal of property. We saw where they had burned a great many houses along the road that we came. The houses were generally vacant—the owners having run off on account of the enemy being so near. But some families were turned out of doors. An old man near here was shot and his house set on fire. He was then laid so near to the fire that his clothes were burned off of him. The party then robbed the mail and got one of Gen. Jackson’s dispatches to a Colonel near here that he was coming on with his army. This frihjtened the party back to Romney.
All the Yankees then left Romney in great haste and left a good many tents, provisions, &c. which fell into our hands.
As it is getting late, I must close. Please write as soon as convenient. Your brother, — J. W. Hamlet
Direct to Winchester.
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