Sunday, April 15, 2012

1862 April 16 Camp Winfield Scott near Yorktown

Camp Winfield Scott near Yorktown April 16th 1862
My Dear Father--Yours of the 9th was received yesterday afternoon, I also received letters from Lizzie & Joseph & the Transcript of march 29 from William I was glad to receive these letters I can tell you, you cant tell how anxious I have been to hear from Home if I dont receive A letter from some one of you every Mail I feel as blue as Indigo in your letter you say I hear the news before you do, you are mistaken, we dont know what is going on arround us, I have been waiting patiently to see A paper to find out what we have been doing we of course hear that Genl Mclellan is going to do such & such things but we hear so many rumors that it is impossible to tell what is true & what is not true, you need not be surprised if we do not make A move on Yorktown for weeks if you were here you would not wonder at the slow progress that is being made I should like to see some of the newspaper editors that complain of the slow movements of Genl Mclellan undertake to move An Army like this through such A miserable Country over roads that waggons with six & eight mules can make but six miles A day, yes I should like to see how they would get provisions for an Army of two hundred thousand men I used to complain about the slow movements, but since we
have been here my eyes have been opened, we are now verry near the enemy but have not heard from them for two or three days, they used to send us their card in the shape of shell but the Berden sharshooters have put A stop to that fun, we take prisoners every day it is rumored that Jeff Davis & Jo Johnson are in command in Yorktown & they have A verry large force we have been busy ever since ever since-sic] we arrived here mending Roads the weather c ontinues pleasant for A few days longer the roads
will be in A first rate condition if we should not make A move for some time you may rest easy as Genl Mclellen will not budge an inch untill he is satisfied he can capture Yorktown with A small loss of life as we are in the reserve we may not have anything to do with the battle if we should be in the engagement you will hear A good account of us, I never saw men so confident of the result everyone thinks that the move on Yorktown will end the war, well I hop it will but I am still an unbeliever I know there has been nothing but Victory on our side & that the rebel Army have been horribly cut up still they will fight to the last, of course i dont know more than any one else, still I think I shall serve my two years if the[y] should end this summer so much the better I shall be glad enough to return Home once more if the war should continue I shall be contented to serve my Country my full term, from your Son
George W. Leavitt

Letters from George Leavitt and his brother Joseph 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

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