Find results with:

Add another field

Search by date

to

Searching collections:

Civil War Archive (University of Mississippi)

Add or remove collections

Home bridges_15 1

Reference URL

Share

To link to the entire object, paste this link in email, IM or document

To embed the entire object, paste this HTML in website

To link to this page, paste this link in email, IM or document

To embed this page, paste this HTML in website

Richard C. Bridges to his Sister M., 16 April 1863

you wish to report:

Your comment:

Your Name:

Submit

Cancel

...

Back to top

Powered by CONTENTdm®

Identifier	bridges_15
Title	Richard C. Bridges to his Sister M., 16 April 1863
Author	Bridges, Richard C.
Date	16 April 1863
Location	Lee County (Va.)
Subject	Confederate States of America. Army. Mississippi Infantry Regiment, 11th. Company A
Broader Subject	Confederate States of America -- Archival resources Confederate States of America. Army -- Military life
Description	Letter from Richard C. Bridges to his sister M. describing his participation in the capture of Suffolk, VA; mentions his affliction with the mumps; asks for drawers and pants, as well as thinner shirts for summer.
Transcript	A Camp near Blackwater, Va April 16, 1863 Dear Sister M, I have just arrived at our old camp after an absence of nearly a week. About a week ago we were ordered to start from camp with six days cooked rations in our haversacks and no other clothing but two blankets to the man. On last Saturday, after having thrown pontoon bridges across the river in three places, we commenced crossing the Blackwater in three separate columns. One going by way of Lawrence's ford, another by way of Franklin and the other by way of South quay. At the latter place my regiment crossed Saturday we advanced some 14 miles in the direction of Suffolk, captured the Yankee picket and laid seige to the town, which has been strongly fortified by the enemy since we gave it up. Suffolk is in Nausemond County and on the Nausemond River which is navigable for gunboats up to the town. Yesterday we had a hard duel with the enemy's gunboats which resulted in a success on our side as far as I can learn we sunk one gunboat and cripplt two others. Late yesterday evening there was very heavy skirmishing all long the lines which indicated that the enemy was trying to cover some movement of importance. 1 was in two miles of the pickets this morning at seven o'clock and not a gun was to be heard, and up to this time in the day (2 o'clock P. M.) there has not been a gun fired on either side. I mean a cannon. I am too far off to hear small arms. From all this silence I am led to believe the enemy have either capitulated or evacuated the city. Another reason I have for believing this is because yesterday a lady came out of the town and reported that the enemy were preparing to leave the place. Gen. Longstreet has command of the Confederate forces. Gen. P4ck commands the Feds. Gen. Longstreet has 44 Regiments, infantry and nearly a hundred pieces of artillery. His troops are the worn veterans, the flower of Lee's old army. You may ask why I am away from my command, and not in the front of the beseiged town. Let me explain. I was taken badly sick with the mumps the very morning that we arrived in front of Suffolk. Since then I have been staying all night with a citizen who lives near out lines. He is a very clever man, quite a gentleman, but he has a daughter that is more of a gentleman than he is. They have succeeded in curing me of the mumps and tomorrow I will again be in ranks. You may tell Mr. Norman I have found a Virginia girl at last that will suit me exactly if I can only get her to wilt. She is the most beautiful woman that ever trod shoe leather. You must not let this get out, for you know it is sometimes advisable to have two strings to ones bow, and I do not quite know which I like the best. You wrote to me in your last something about clothing. Well, I hardly know what to say. I have on hand now shirts and socks enough to do me through the summer or very near it. The only thing I will need will be drawers and pants. As a matter of course, I would like to have my shirts a little thinner than the ones I have now for summer, but these I have now will do finely. I must close. Send my clothes if you see any chance. Goodbye, your ever loving brother, R. C. Bridges
Type	text
Original Format	correspondence
Original Collection	Richard C. Bridges Collection
Collection Finding Aid	http://purl.oclc.org/umarchives/MUM01789/
Citation	Richard C. Bridges Collection, Special Collections, University of Mississippi Libraries
Rights	This item is free from copyright and may be reproduced without prior consent.

	All
	Pages Enter page numbers or page ranges separated by commas. For example: 1,3,5-12

Find results with:

Searching collections:

Home bridges_15 1

Richard C. Bridges to his Sister M., 16 April 1863

bridges_15 1

Object Description

Description

Richard C. Bridges to his Sister M., 16 April 1863

Richard C. Bridges to his Sister M., 16 April 1863