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July 21-27
Attend Lay Reading at Grace Church. Hear Nicky Lewis has come home. After dinner Sis and I go down to call on him and heard the news from Jabe. Have a pleasant visit. Nicky tells us a good deal of correspondence. It is true that Johnston has left Winchester and is ordered to join Beauregard with his forces and everything promises a big fight soon. News on Monday. We have met the enemy and they are ours. The largest battle ever fought on our shores [the battle of First Manassas or Bull Run] came off on Sunday the 21st. The loss on both sides very great but that of the enemy supposed to be three times as great as ours. We are supposed to have lost in killed and wounded at least 2,000 (no certainty about it). Truly it was a glorious victory and I hope that good may come of it at last in spite of "little Peterkin" for we hope much it may cause our recognition abroad as one of the nations of the earth and it is proof positive to the Yankees that we are able to take some care of ourselves. It seems that we can cut up the Grand Army which was enroute for Richmond via Manassas. Large quantities of provisions, military stores and implements of war were captured by our soldiers from the Barbarians. They were said to have handcuffs ready for us so sure were they of conquering us poor rebels but Holy Writ says the battle is not always delivered to the strong and so they have found it. How comforting to us that so many of the lessons appointed by our beloved Church are so appropriate to the times in which we live and in every case we could be the favored people. Surely this is not chance but to show us the salvation of our God. The night after the great battle, the lesson read in our church and in many of our home circle was Moses and Miriam's song of triumph after the overthrow of the Egyptian host. We too could sing that song for we had triumphed gloriously and God had dashed in pieces our enemy. Oh, that our Faith and Trust may ever be in Him and if He is with us we fear not what men can do unto us. Hear several letters from our boys read. They were in the fight and behaved gallantly. None of them hurt, thank God. Bob writes words that Billie Williams [his horse] has immortalized himself. Our boys took twenty big guns and about 100 Yankee prisoners. Spend the day at The Creek and at Uncle Bob's. Sally has news of brother Jabe. One of his subs, Dr. Minor, was wounded and sent up to the University to his uncle J.B. Minor and brother Jim, by accident, found him out at Gordonsville. He had a note for little Sis written from the battlefield to tell her Jabe was safe and whole. The next day came another note saying he was on his way to Charlottesville with the wounded of his brigade and after getting them set up he would come down. We are much excited. Bed time comes but no brother Jabe and we retire with heavy hearts but before we get to sleep he makes his appearance. Oh, how thankful I feel to have him among us once more. He has some very amusing stories to relate of the battle as he was on the field from the beginning until the last gun was fired. Oh, how blest a brother he is. How many blessings I enjoy; so many brothers and sisters and dear ones around me. May I be truly grateful to Him who gives them to me. Aunt Sally and some of the cousins come to see Jabe. On Friday go up to Charlottesville and spend the day at Keswick. The cars won't take me up until dark. [It is] after supper time when we get to Rugby very tired and hungry. Saturday get home bringing little Sis and Jabe with me. We have such happy times. Forgot to say had a nice letter from Sue this week. She has fixed upon Tuesday to be with us but John feared the cars would stop carrying the mail and passangers and so she gave it up. How disappointed I was, indeed all her friends were. It hurts me to thing of the long time we've been separated ....Ma a little complaining. So many beautiful kittens.
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