The following letter was written in a Camp near Richmond , VA on June 
15th, 1863. The writer William Nashville Edwards was the brother of my 
husband's ancestor James Martin Edwards, son of James F. Edwards and 
Mary Good Nelson of Pitt County, NC. William Nashville died in Charity 
Hospital in Gordonsville, Virginia on May 22, 1864.. 
Emma, to whom the letter is addressed is the daughter of James Martin 
Edwards. 

Dear Niece, 
Thank the Lord I am again permitted with the privilege of dropping you 
a few lines to let you hear from me again. Emma this leaves me well. 
But I feel very bad today for your Dear Father for I suppose today is 
the day to fetch out the little remnant that remains in old Pitt. I 
feel so sorry for you and your Mother and the children that I do not 
know what to do. But I trust that God will be with you all in times of 
need and forsake you not. Emma, I have wrote to you and your Mother but 
I have not received any answer yet. Emma, we received orders the same 
day that your father left me. I did not have time to write to you. But 
I wrote your Mother a few lines to let you know that I was gone to 

(end of page 1) 

Virginia. Emma, I will tell you the route that I have taken since I left 
Winston. We were ordered to Petersburg when we got there we did not stay 
there but a short time before we went on to Richmond. There we stayed two 
or three days then we were ordered to Hanover's Junction we stayed there 
a short time, then we were ordered to South Hanovers Bridge. There we 
stayed two days and then we were ordered back again to Richmond. Then we 
were sent to Shiver's Bluff. There we stayed one day and then we were 
sent to this place and are now between Richmond and Charles City on the 
road that leads from the Capitol to Charles City. Emma, I would be so glad 
to see you all but God only knows when I shall ever see you all again for 
furloughs has 

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played out here and I do not know when I shall ever come home again. But 
I always try to put my whole trust in Him that rules and super rules all 
things to His own purpose and grace. Emma, I have nothing of much 
importance to write. Only they have had a pretty severe fight down at 
Culpepper last week. Our calvary and the yankee calvary fought there 
from 5 o'clock in the moring until 7 o'clock in the evening. Our loss 
is estimated at 150 to 200 killed and wounded and taken prisoner. We 
took 302 prisoners at one time and wounded and killed between 2 and 4 
hundred of the enemy and killed 25 colonels and 2 Generals. We lost 10 
or 12 colonels. Emma, I will drop the subject. Henry Haddock sends his 
best love and respects to you and said you must take good 

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care of yourself for he said that he reckons he will have to give me one 
of his cousins for you for he said he reckons he can call me Uncle as good 
as you can so I reckon Emma I shall have to swap you off for his cousin for 
she is very nice and pretty also I will not tell you who it is. Give my love 
to your Father and Mother also all the children and to Mother and Sister and 
Noah and to Mrs. Brooks and also to Fannie and Bettie Ringold and all 
inquiring friends and relatives and save a portion for yourself also tell 
all the Miss Moores I would be happy to see them all again. Emma I must 
come to a close direct your letters to Richmond, Virginia 27th NC 7 Cooks 
Brigade. 

Your friend and Uncle until death. 





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