Monday, April 2, 2012

1862 April 3 near Newport News, Va.

10 miles from fort Munroe 2 1/2 from
newport news Aprill 3d 1862
Dear mary I recived 2 letters
from you last night and one
from Farther and one from [?]
from someboddy for all of whitch
I was verry thankfull. we are
troubled some with the disentery
otherwise wee ar all well
the yorkers have some of them died
owing to being so dirty some say
it is very pleasant here the peach
trees ar all in Blosum should sent
some violets if I had time to find
them wee had a pleasant time
coming down here there was about
50 Boats loaded I saw mont
vernon the tomb of washington
and a grate menny places
where the Rebels had fortified

[page 2]
wee started from elexandry
at 7 in the morn and at 7
the next morn wee was anchpo
red down to fort monroe wee
disembarked and marched up by
the fort on to the ruins of
hampton that was a hard
looking place & should think
it was about as large as
north Bridgwater and by the
Looks of the old ruins the
streets wer well shaded by
noble trees butt there is
noting left but chard
ruins and Brick walls and
chimneys thretning to tople
at the slightest jar there
was som mable churches
the pillows still standing
but there was not a house
nor a pair[?] of fence for miles
O it is horrid how grim war
has ruined thiss country

[page 3]
the Land here is verry leavell
and by digin 2 foot youfind
water and it looks as tho
it was half milk
down to the fort it is a verry
pretty place the most grand
fort that I ever saw there
some terible guns there
the monitor was there and
a good menny other gun boats
and our fleet mad it look
like a buisness place
Samuell and I went down to the
news the other day saw the
cumberland and congress the
remains the spars of the cumberln
ar out of water frm the main
cross thay say there is 200 bodies
in her and 70000dollars in gold
the congress is burned down
to the water I have got a
pece of her will send you a
sliver the Rebels sent som
shell at us the other day

[page 4]
but did not reach us or the
shore in to about a mile
wee ar to march in the
morning at 6 with 5 days
rations expect there will be a
fight before the 5 days ar
up shall wright agan as
soon as there is a chance
let farther and Jhn see thiss
if thay want to
give my Love to all
and may god bless
you all
B F Hutchinson
tell Herbirt to bee a good
boy Kiss Bener & berthy
to be good girls and
mind mother go to
sabath school and love
God and not disagree
with one and other
Wright
good night for it is
taps and there 17000
men camped in thiss field to
night BFH

[top margin of page 1]
4th corps the army comandid by Keys
CV[?] Couches division under Keys
Brigges Brigade 7th reg Mass v

Benjamin F. Hutchinson, Co. K, 7th Massachusetts Infantry



MSS 11361

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