Charles James Wilson was killed in combat at the Battle of Gaines Mill, north of Richmond, June 27, 1862.
Elsewhere--Reproduction of Letter to Daughter --I have a jpg file containing a reproduction of the original of this letter. It is in a beautiful handwriting and displays fine usage of the English language.
Al Spinks
May 30, 2003
************
Co H
Warrenton Va
Monday 11 oclock am
Nov 25th 1861
My Dear Little Daughter
I wrote to your Ma yesterday. You will learn from that letter that I have not been well for some time but I was then better. I feel still better this morning & wishing to employ myself some way. I thought I would write to you. I have written to Bud twice & I will not slight you. I well know that neither of you can read, or comprehend it well after it is read to you, but for all that I know you will be proud of a letter from your Pa & nothing gives me more pleasure then to do something that would render you happy for evern the shortest period of time & then if it is gods will that I shall never return home & you should be spared years hence you can read a letter that you R’cd from your Pa while he was a poor soldier and you a sweet little girl but 4 years old. I have seen a great deal of hard service since I left you sleeping comfortably on the morning of the 19th of August last. I have sometimes thought I did rong in not waking you up but the trial was hard enough for me without having you Bud & Kate around me when I started from home & know not but for the last time. I thought then I was going to Missoura but when I got back to my company I found to my great satisfaction that we were to go to Virginia where I thought there would be a battle forthwith. But I have been ever since enduring all the hardships incident ot a soldiers life when on outpost duty & not one general fight have I seen yet. I have got quite enough of Va unless they need my services in some other way than lying out at night on picket duty. If you remember I was very fond of lying out on the creek at night on fishing excursions, but I think I am fully satisfied with this night service. If it was to do over again I would want to go to Missoura, but there is a great many things if they were to do the second time they would be done differently or not at all. But this only serves to show us that we shold think well before acting.
Missoura is out so far & I have no doubt if I had gone there I would be at home to see you before this time. But I will come home after awhile & I hope to find you all well. You must be a good girl obey your Ma in all things be kind to Billy & Kate & all others. You must not touch anything that you know you have no business with. A little Boy about Billys age last night got hold of a vial of medicine that his Ma had been giving him & his little sister to prevent their taking the scarlet fever & taken & over dose of it & this morning the poor little fellow (the only son of his Parents) was laid out a corpse. Yes he had breathed his last. This is another warning to little boys & girls not to touch that they know nothing about. Remember I am coming home after a while.
Good Bye.
Your Affectionate Father Charles J. Wilson
P. S.
I am suffering with cramp in my legs this morning
