1861 December 1 Camp Franklin St Johns Seminary near Alaxandria va

Dear father--As I have received A letter from you & Mother & Johny to days yours of the 27th & Mothers of the same date & Johnys of the 26th I thought I would take this opportunity & answer yours now & the rest in due time I am well & was glad to hear that all the Folks at Home were the same this Regiment is Praised A great deal by General Slocum the New York 26 has gone out of this Brigade that was a full regiment & when General Slocum was asked why he did not put this one out he said it was Because it was not A full regiment and when Genl. Slocum he said the reason was this that the reason was this that there was as good grit in them I do not put myselfe in there but the rest of them, I do not write this to make an Brags about the Regiment but the Battle of bulls run told the story we was the last Regiment that entered the Field & had to stand the Fire when the others were retreating so you see that the Boys & myselfe where in one Battle & I think it wont be many weeks before we will have to advance on the same spot again there has been over 20 thousand troops that has arrived across the river this week & they keep coming, we have new over coats & Pants they are Blue & we are to have some new dress coats the first of next week you not be afraid that I do not get clothing I have nmore than I can take care of verry well tell Frank Crawford to answer that letter, I came in from Pickett yesterday I have been out Four days
From your Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865 "because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid." Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864.

MSS 66