WILLIAM FRANCIS BRAND CIVIL WAR LETTERS
This collection, 1856 (1857-1866) 1959, ca. 134 items, chiefly consists of Civil War letters written by Confederate Soldier William Francis Brand (1840-1936), Augusta County, Virginia, to Amanda Catherine Armentrout, his future wife and a Greenville, Augusta County resident. Brand was a private in Company E (the Augusta Grays), 5th Virginia Regiment, Stonewall Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia.
In an effort to make these transcripts true to the original and easy to read:
1. When there is no punctuation in the document, it is added in brackets if needed for clarity.
2. The notation [sic] is used to indicate a misspelled word if needed for clarity.
3. A blank space, i.e. ________ indicates a word in the document that is not dicipherable.
4. The capitalization style in the original document is copied.
5. Square brackets, i.e. [ ] are used to indicate an addition by the transcriber to clarify meaning in the original document.
6. Underlining in the original document is repeated in the transcript.
7. An attempt is made to keep editing to a minimum to preserve the often unique character of the original.
-Mary D. Edwards Summer 2000
1861-1862 20 items William F. Brand to Amanda C. Armentrout [Folder 1 of 4] Brand #11332
[This line has been torn away.]
Three miles this side
Campt on Ruge [Rudes] hill
April 6th. 1862
Friend Kate
It has been some time since I recieved your kind letter and would have answered it sooner if we had have been campt [sic] at any one plase [sic] long enoughf [sic] to ____ [answer ?] it.
My health is very good & hope this may find you enjoying the same blessing. Thare [sic] are no news of importance to write. our Company
[page two]reorgannised [sic] to day for the War; our Commissioned officers are as follows[:] Capt. Jas W Newton[,] Lieut Chas. W Grills 2nd Lichurgus Grills & 2nd David F. Earchord [Eckard]. We have a very large Com. I hope that our army may soon be about to give the enimy [sic] a death blow. I suppose you have hurd [sic] all the perticulars [sic] of the battle of the 23rd [Battle of Kernstown, March 23, 1862][.] I was in six feet of Grass [Robert F.] when he fell[.] he was shot in the head and never mooved [sic] after he was shot[.] Lieut Willson
[page three] was some three or four yards behind me. I miss him a grate [sic] deal. he always was a grate [sic] friend of mine[.] he was a brave and honurable [sic] man & died fighting for his liberty [.] evry [sic] thing looks gloomy at present but the soldiers seem willing and ready to fight them at any time that we may be ordered to _____ them[.] the enimy [sic] are in edingburg six miles below Mt Jackson[.] The Malitia [sic] look like they are al [all] ready whipt[sic][.] all thay [sic] think about is runing [sic][.]
[page four] Samuel Lightner has volunteered in our Com[.] he has some resemblance of his late Bro J. P. Our Regt numbers near eight hundred[.] it will not take a very large draft to fill it up[.] I would like very much to come home for a week or two but thare [sic] is not chance for furloughs at presant [sic][.] Your Brothers are both well[.] I think Jacob likes camp life very well. nothing more at preasant [sic][.] Write soon[.] I remain friend & well wisher - W.F. B.
[Attached to the above letter is an envelope addressed to: Miss Kate Armentrout, Lexington, Virginia. Noted in pencil is : "Rudes Hill April 62". Noted in pen is: "In the care of Mr. James Johnson".]