1862 April 16 Camp Franklin Near Alexandria, Va.

Camp Franklin Near Alaxandria Va April 16th 1862
Dear Brother--I receivd your letter of the 7th yesterday & I can
tell you I was glad to get it I received three others at the same time from fathers, Ellen & Lizzie & I can tell you I am disappointed when the Postmaster arrives in to the Camp & I find there is none for me it will be A year the sixth of next month that I have been in service & out of that long time I have never been sorry that i enlisted when I have been marching I have had some hard times & when I enlisted i expected to see some & have never seen the time I ever wanted for any clothes nor any thing to eat but once & you know that time was on the 21st July 1861 since I wrote to Father last the Brigade has been to Manasses & are now in our old camp Ground & are to go aboard of the transports that are at Alaxandria tomorrow Morning & I suppose when you hear from the Fifth Maine again it will be that they have been in battle at Yorktown where this Brigade is bound the batteries have gone aboard allready when I was at Manasses I went to the famous Bull run battle Field & it is an awful sight to see the bone[s[ of human being laying all over the Ground where they have been laying ever since the battle without being buried. I do not know what ou mean by the Government not being inclined to take advantages of the recent Victories I think they have done A great deal there Comodore Foote who has taken island No 10 & General Grant at Pitsburgh I think that they follow them up fast & there is Foote gone at them again at Fort Pillow & this mornings Clipper has the news of the taking of Fort Pusha [Pulaski] I think they follow them up pretty Fast now dont you I will close by saying direct your letters the same as you have all along & if I am down the river I will get them the same but Maby I cannot write to you but if letters will go that I write I will write to you, answer this as soon as you get it From Your Brother Joseph Leavitt-----P.S. tell Henry that I get his papers & I shall never forget it you dont send me the weekly papers after you read them I have asked Father to tell you to & I suppose he has if he has seen you.

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