1862 May 12 Camp Warren near West Point, Va.

Camp Warren near West Point Va. May 12th 1862

My Dear Brother your letter of the 5th Inst is before me you wish me to
give yo the particulars of the evacuation of Yorktown, you get the
particulars of everything that happens in this part of the country before I do
we although right on the spot have to wait for the papers before we know what has
been done with A mile of our Camp all I can say is the retreat from Yorktown was
A complete panic, the Rebels did make A stand at Williamsburgh & had
double the number that we had yet they retreated in great haste as the rout
gave evidence we found waggons that had been partly burned & waggons
without any spokes in the wheels & waggons that were stuck fast in the mud
with pole sawed off so they would be of no use to us yet for all this this
Rebellion is no nearer being crushed than it was six months ago, you will
wish to know my reasons for thinking as I do, I will tell you my reasons
in A few words this Rebelion will never be crushed as long as Jeff Davis his cab
inet or any of the leaders in this rebellion are at liberty they are got to
be taken before it is crushed you say Yorktown is Evacuated, so is New
Orleans, Norfolk & Richmond nearly surrounded well what of that they
can evacuate Richmond (which I have no doubt they will in a verry
short time) & move to some other place then 2we have to go after them you
may think my reasoning is not sound, well it may not be, but I dont see
the war ended as soon as the newspaper editors see it, it is all verry well
to sit in you office & write articles for the paper about the way to crush
the rebelion & Point out road to take for Richmond, the thing is to
take that road which is Pointed out I used to grumble A gread deal
about the slow movements of McLellan, but since our Regiment has
been in active service I have seen enough to convince me that I nor any
Ediotr of Newspapers know anything about the business there is A great
deal of work to be done & it will take A long time to do it, how long we shall
remain at this present Camp I cannot tell this Brigade is in no
division but is under the command of Genl Mclellan & when he moves
his head Quarters we will move also, I saw Joseph the day before
the evacuation of Yorktown he is now some miles in the advance he
looks well & says that he is enjoying good health please give my
respects to Mrs Leavitt hopeing I shall have the pleasure of paying
you A visit & taking A cup of tea at your table I remain your
Brother
George

Letters from George Leavitt of the 5th New York  and his brother Joseph of the 5th Maine 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.