1861 December 22 Camp Federal Hill, Baltimore

Brother William As I have not written to you since the great
Expedition to Accomac, I will now try & write you A few lines I
suppose you have heard the particulars of this great expedition about
the Batteries that were taken the marching of six thousand Soldiers
through the Counties of Worcester, Accomac, & North Hampton
yes from New Town Maryland to Eastville Va & back to Pongotague
after Rebels but Nary rebel was to be found, it was what we called
A wild goose chase one Regt could have done as well as six if Accomac
& North Hampton counties are A fair sample of Virginia all I have to say is
they are fifty ears behind the times the meanest looking Village in the North
cannot compare with the Villages we passed through on our March from
Newtown to Eastville as I wrote in my letter to Father the People look as though
we had noked them out of A fifty years sleep the Houses were mostly
built in the year One I should judge. at Easterville we were encamped
one week & while here we lived on Chickens, Turkeys sweet potatoes and
corn bread for A pair of chickens they would charge twelve cents all
the money they had in Eastville were shin plasters & twelve cents were
worth haveing we had the genuine Nigger every evening in Camp we
would make A ring & get two or more inside & they would sing and
dance & such singing & dancing you never saw at any Nigger Concert
every where we went the Darkies would Crowd into the Camp and
to Join the Regiment, we got A great deal of information from the darkies
I asked on fellow why the Rebels stand he said that Col Smith
(that is the name of the person that had command of the Rebels)
said he was going to cut the Yankees up into mince meat, but
when he heard them fellows with the red Breeches were coming
he said it was getting to hot could not stay any longer, we had
some Tough marches but got through with it without any being
sick my health is verry good in fact I have not been on the sick
list since Joining the regiment, I wish you would send me A
few Postage stamps some letters I write I do not like to frank A
few stamps would come handy I have not received but one paper
from you since the twelveth of Nov please send me the back numbers
of the transcript hopeing to meet you again in A few months I&
I remain your Brother
Geroge W. Leavitt