Semmes, Paul Jones (1815-1863) to Emily J. Semmes

Camp 7 miles from Winchester, Va.
21 Oct 1862--2 pm. My Dear Wife
Marys letter of the 6 inst. has just been recd. Marys letter of the 10th & Paulines of the 7th and 10th acknowledged yesterday, having preceded Marys letter of the 6th that I now acknowledge-.
It is out of the question for me to think of resigning now.
The true plan to pursue is, the one suggested by you in Marys letter of the 10th, namely: to get Mr. Stafford & go directly to the plantation. If by possibility you should find difficulty in crossing the river, you might then send Mr. Stafford ahead, & let him return, (?) you stopping at some convenient point in Mississippi. But, I think you had better go directly across the river to the plantation. I doubt if the Federals have visited the plantation; but would not be surprised to hear that Bye had run off somewhere; or if he has remained on the plantation, that some of the negroes have run off to the Yankees- Some would go & some would not. If you can't get to the plantation, the movable property should all be secured & the negroes brought off-brought across the Mis. or carried the other way - towards Texas- If you cannot stay on the plantation, keep with you such of the negroes as you may want for housekeepingpurposes, so that you can start a house anywhere you determine to, & go to housekeeping, rather than pay such enormous board. We cannot afford to pay such board & must not think of it for one moment. Provide yourself with the negroes (your own negroes) rent a small house - not in Atlanta - but in some cheap place - west or east of the Mis. River. You had perhaps, better go, anyway, across the Mis. if you know in advance, that you cannot stay on the plantation, & arrange to remove or dispose of the property - & fix yourself some secure interim locality, to keeping house. You have good judgment, exercise it; act on it, without consulting me. This cruel war has decreed our separation for a time but I trust a good God will ere long restore us to each other, in the enjoyment of contentment & happiness - never again to be so long separated. I have written to know what arrangement can be made for the family on the East Tennessee & Georgia R Rd, as mentioned yesterday; but I will make no definite arrangement at all; & whatever I may do in this regard need not have the slightest influence on your actions. Don't let that influence you in the least, it is intended only as an alternative, in case nothing better can be done. I repeat, don't let this influence your course - But proceed, first, to secure our property in Ark. & then to provide a cheap home for the family. If you think $2,000 not enough to take with you, take more. And I would advise you to take a great deal more change than $100. Takechange mind you that will pass throughout the South West - don't take local change bills - which are worthless out of the neighborhood where they are issued. If you want Silver change write to Mr. Watt to send it to you by Express, care Mr. Clayton. The expense will be but a trifle. If you want some hundreds of Dollars of gold, write to Mr. Watt to send it to you - You know I have gold there at my Command without paying a premium. If you write to Mr. Watt for gold, tell him I requested you to do so, & that I am not to be charged a premium, because I made a deposit of gold with the understanding that I was to be repaid in Gold. I deposited $4,000 & have not drawn out more than $1000 or $1500 of it. Not more than $1000 indeed. Mention such other facts to Mr. Watt as may be necessary, so that he will not enter a premium up against me in Bank. Of course, whatever silver & gold you draw for, draw your checks in the usual way and send them by mail to Mr. Watt or the agency at Columbus. Have the silver & gold forwarded to you by express, not by mail & the Receipt of the Express agent taken by Mr. Watt for the amount, & sent to by Mr. Watt to you by mail.
If you should not remain on the plantation, or should not get there, prepare yourself for housekeeping. At the present high rates for board, you can keep house for half of what board will cost. If you can remain on the plantation, you can live with comparative economy - Indeed, muchcheaper than in any other way & much more comfortably than almost anywhere else, at the present time. If you can keep the Yankees from stealing our property in Arkansas, this winter & next spring, it will then, I think, be safe from them for all time, I hope. I think Mr. Stafford will do better than Mr. Callier. I wrote to the Post Master general yesterday, enquiring how mail matter is sent across the Miss. There is a way no doubt, by official mail carriers, or course, Butler intends to rob our people of their property, & knows. he can do so safely; & so do all the other Yankee Officers - Indeed, if we were to surrender our property to them today, the war would end, I think - though in that case they would probably want to keep us to work for them! You must ascertain, by all means, how to keep up communication with me across the Miss.- & let me know. I wrote you that I had nothing to do with the Battle of Cramptons Gap & that the Yankee Report, of taking most my Brigade was false. There were not more than 150 to 200 of our ---y Regts in that fight - the 10 Ga. & that was not under my command. It is true, that there has been no mention that I have seen of my Brigade except the one you spoke of - But it greatly distinguished itself & will I think, receive special mention in the official reports. No other Brigade of McLaws Division did much fighting at Sharpsburg, except my own! The Yankees pay my Brigade, atSharpsburg, the highest compliments - calling it a Regiment! We fought Hooker, Sumner & Franklin; & the hardest fighting was around the left (our left) under Jackson; & my Brigade .did the hardest & longest of any other troops on our left & behind, on the field!! When any Brigade did well, it is called McLaws' Division! As I before remarked, none of the McLaws' other Brigades did much fighting at Sharpsburg & were for some cause not hotly engaged at all during the day, I am informed! If they & other troops on my right had kept advancing as we did, the enemy would have been completely routed. This was plain to many. I exhausted all effort trying to get reinforcement, or, rather troops to advance at the same time with me, so as to protect my flank, but for some cause, they did not advance with me. What "P.W.A." says of Gen. Toombs is all stuff!! There is not one particle of truth in it!! The 2d & 20 Ga. fought 3 to 5 hours, without support with great gallantry; fought until they and their ammunition became exhausted, still without reinforcements although often sent for, & finally had to abandon the Bridge across the Antietam Creek & fall back; late in the evening (?) Hills Divis. came up from Harpers Ferry, & drove the enemy back to the Bridge. The enemy had got far beyond the Bridge - Hills troops drove him back to the Bridge - for Toombs did not show himself when the 2d & 20' were defending the Bridge, during the whole day - Neither did any of his staff - so I am reliably informed; and although he & Gen. Jones were sent to again & again, for reinforcements, none were sent, because (the name assigned) they would be "cut up" a hour going in!! The 2d & 20 were being badly cut up; why not send other troops to their relief - If they had been reinforced, they might have held the Bridge; & with less loss to them. As for Gen. Toombs taking a Battery, I am assured upon the best authority, that the whole thing is a fabrication - It is a lie "made out of whole cloth"! His charge & capture of a Battery, headed, "Desperate Gallantry" & going the rounds of the newspapers, is utterly destitute of a particle of truth. He did nothing, approaching it during the whole day - He did nothing during the whole fight In the slightest degree resembling the act described! I repeat, I am informed upon the most reliable authority, that there is not one word of truth in this matter- Upon good authority, I am also informed that Gen. Toombs was not in the Battle of Manassa! He had been left behind under arrest, (he had been arrested by orders of Gen. Longstreet,) & did not reach the Battlefield until the Battle was over. There, he did charge on the field, hat in hand, made a speech & said what he was going to do next day! His Brigade - or at least, the 2d Ga. behaved gallantly at Manassa, but he was not there to lead it. They fought rather on their "own hook"!!! Time will do justice to all of us - Gen. Toombs & all - When justice isdone, no Brigade in the Army will hold a higher place than mine - Its conduct warrants this opinion, & time will indicate it. May the Lord have mercy on us all - May he guard you all in your journey & sojourn & me against the perils of the battle - & all of us against temptation & sin - Much more Dear Wife, to you, the Dear Girls & the Dear Little Buds - Keep the dear little fellows for Father - Yr affec Hd
P.J.S