[Confederate Army of the Shenandoah]. Confederate Soldier's Letter. One page, 7.75" x 7.75", Piedmont [Virginia], July 20, 1861. Writing home to his brother just one day before his division was engaged at the First Battle of Manassas, the soldier describes the situation, in part as written: "We are here waiting for the cars to join [P.G.T.] Beauregard who has repulsed the enemy but is still threatened by overwhelming forces. Genl [Robert] Patterson has slipped from us & we cant overtake him, expect to be with Beauregards Division by noon. Our Genl. [Edmund Kirby] (Smith) has now command of this division." Moderately toned along smoothed folds. Small spots of minor paper loss at the intersections of the folds.

Three weeks earlier, the First Brigade of the Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, commanded by Gen. Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and soon to be immortalized as the Stonewall Brigade, met Gen. Robert Patterson's Union Army of the Shenandoah in combat at the Battle of Hoke's Run. The result was a Union victory. The two sides watched each other closely and Patterson eventually moved back to Harpers Ferry. The Confederate Army of the Shenandoah moved up to reinforce Gen. Beauregard at Manassas Junction and handily defeated the Federals at First Manassas the following day.