Item No. 4450775

On May 6, 1862—just ten days before his death—Second Lieutenant Morris A. Brown of the 8th Virginia Cavalry wrote this letter home to his wife. In it he briefly mentions that, “our Col. has been displaced from the command of this district.” He adds, “Say nothing until I write you again. We are in no danger here. The Yankees are not nearer than Princeton.” The regiment’s colonel was at that time William H. Jenifer. Days earlier on May 1, with Union troops advancing toward his position at Princeton, Virgina—today West Virginia—Colonel Jenifer ordered the town burned in order to prevent supplies falling into Union hands. Only one or two structures would survive the fire.

In his May 6 report on the action (OR XII, Part I, p. 450), Jenifer writes he is “willing to receive the censure, as I assumed the responsibility, if I have saved any of our gallant soldiers from being captured by a largely superior force of the enemy.” This may be the reason Brown in his letter writes that Jenifer “has been displaced from command of this district.”

HDS indicates Brown died on May 16, 1862, at Dublin. Circumstances worthy of additional research. The letter was written on one side of a single blue letter sheet measuring about 7 5/8” x 9 5/8”. Creased at the original folds. The transcript follows:

Dublin Station
May 6th 1862

My Darling Wife
I hope you reached home safe. My dear little wife was very much misled by her dear old Hus. I have felt great anxiety about your safe arrival home. My dear, I am sorry to tell you our Col. has been displaced from the command of this district. Say nothing until I write you again. We are in no danger here. The Yankees are not nearer than Princeton. My dear, if I stay at this point I want you and Jennie to come up and stay with me. The cars are coming. Goodbye.
Your Affect. Hus.
M. A. Brown