1862 April 17 Camp Winfield Scott near Yorktown

Camp Winfield Scott Near Yorktown April 17th 1862
My Dear Brother--A[s] I have not written to you since I ledt Baltimore
I take this opporutnity to write you & let you know where we are & what is
going on in this part of the Country you must not expect me to give you much
information in regard to the movements that are going on this quarter for
this reason I dont know much about them, we have plenty of rumors in Camp
but as they are not verry reliable we pay no attention to them, you need not
be surprised if the attact on Yorktown should not take place for two or three
weeks yet, the place will be taken by siege & it will be some time before every
thing will be in complete readiness, it is Genl McLellans plan to take Yorktown
with as small loss of blood as possible there is A tremendous force concentrated
here Genl Mclellans head quarters is only A few steps from our Camp the Tele
graph lines are complete as far as his tent & he can communicate with every dep
artment of the Grand Army, you have no Idea what an amount of labour is required
to furnish supplies for such A large Army now the roads are getting better supplies
are beginning coming in faster the first two weeks we were here it was impossible to get the
provisions along some days we had to go without anything to eat the roads were so bad
that waggons with six & eight mules could make but six miles A day if the weather
should continue pleasant A few days longer we shall have Plenty of provisions, we
have done nothing but to mend & make roads since we arrived, Yesterday it was
my turn to go out & work, we are cutting A new road through the woods from
ship point to head quarters, for empty waggons to go to Ship point the main road
is full of waggons all the time laden with provisions for the Army it is one continual
stream from ship point to head quarters all day long & all night Ship Point is on
York River about four miles from Yorktown the supplies are brought to Ship Point
by vessels, the 15th New York are at work throwing up earthworks for the large
siege guns the rebels keep up A continual fire but dont  prevent the work going on
when everything is ready you will hear from us, that Yorktown will have to sur-
render there is not the least doubt, we have rumors in regard to the number of
the Rebels at Yorktown, some go as high as one hundred thousand but I dont
think they have over forty, we have nearly four hundred pieces of Artilery with
us but they cannot all be used, this is A verry bad country to manoever A large
Army it is all woods & swamps, there is A rumor in Camp to day that our troops
took three rebel batteries to yesterday wether it is true or not I cant say we are
ready with knapsacks packed & three days rations cooked all the time so to
be ready to move in A moments notice direct 5th New York volunteers Sykes
Brigade Army of the Potomac Via Washington D.C. from you Brother
                                  George M. 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.

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