1861 December 31 Camp Franklin, St. Johns Seminary near Alexandria

Dear Father--As this is the last day of the year of 1861 & the new year
of 62 being close at hand I hope that you will see that good old Flag the
Stars & Stripes floating once more over all of these United States of America
& this Reblion crushed out and the Slavery question put aside forever to
day I went out with the Regiment to what they call the Mustering in roll
to get Pay in which they call all the names which are put down on the
paper the reason that they call them over for is because they want to see
whether they put down any names which are not in the Company we
will get paid off sometime next week & you look out & see how to get that
fifteen dollars I believe they will Advertise such names as they have money
for in the Papers which if you see your name in it dont forget to get it
which you will if they do it in that way & dont forget to tell William what
I Spoke about in one of my others we had new rifles they are called the minie
rifle the same kind the first Maine had they are A Splendid set & are
four Pounds lighter than the old ones the old ones weighed fifteen pounds
& the new ones weigh eleven so you can see that there is A great deal of diffe
rence between the heft, I got A letter from Aunt Remick in which she
said that they was all well this is my last Postage stamp so tell
William if he does not send them to me that I wrote about to you
you need not think it strange that you do not get any letters from me
I have send over two dollars worth of stamps since Pay day I have A
plenty of writing paper but stamps Bother me, so be sure & tell him to
send that dollars worth. From you Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt and his brother George Leavitt 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