1862 April 2 Alexandria, Va.

Camp Franklin Near St Johns Seminary Alaxandria Va April 2/62
Dear Father I received yours & Mothers of the 28th in yours of
the 28th you said you sent three postage stamps which was not in it
so I concluded to wait before i wrote to you & see whether you would
write & send me another & tonight I receved yours & Mothers of the 30th
with the three stamps so I though I would set down to answer it I am
well & never was better I am always glad to receive A letter from home
& you cannot tell how disappointed I am when the Mail gets to Camp
& find there is none for me the regiment has not started yet but I
think it will soon there is no knowing when we shall go we may
get orders 12 oclock tonight & before Morning the order may be counter
manded which is very often the case I received A letter from George
the other day & he said that he was well & I tell you I am always glad
to get one from him George always treated me well when he was at home
& I can tell you that I shall never forget it the only one I have had trouble
with at Home is Edward but I shall forget it when I look at the
thing & think it over I come to the conclusion that I was to blame
this Division & Kings has been reviewed by Genls McLellan & Mc
Dowell four times within A fortnight the regiment has been presented
with A new Flag & the old one is to be sent to the Capital in account
of its being in battle & has two bullet holes in it & this Flag was not dis
graced by the Regiment at that Battle if they did have to retreat
at the time & you may be assured that the new one will never e dis
graced if they go into another one, we have got A Colonel & one that
Boys will follow I must Close my letter by saying keep on writing to
me in the same way direct to me give my love to Lizzie & tell her that
I have not got that letter that she said she was gone to writ to me
From your Son Joseph Leavitt P.S. what is the number of Mr Stevens box


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