862 May 11 West Point

West Point Va May 11
Dear Mother I wrote you a few
lines at Yorktown and we arrived
here that night we are within
30 miles of Richmond our object
was to cut them off from the
railroad here which was done
as they had a skirmish here
the day before we arrived
our advance is 15 miles ahead
of us, McClellan's army that
fought at Wiliamsburgh
went by here yesterday on to
Richmond we are the third
reserve so there is 2 reserves
to call out before they
call us out.  Our gunboats
have cut off the railroad
communication with

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Richmond. Gen McClellan
says his whole army shall be
in Richmond by the 20th
he has marched them up smart
from Yorktown considering what
fighting they have had to do
but when we get to Richmond
we shall get to Rich probably get
some rest and lay there
through the summer those
that are not discharged when
you write to Asa tell him I
wish he would write to me
and I will answer his as quick
as I get time  There is any
quantity of stories flying round
here but I dont believe any of
them till I see them in the
papers Tell Ann I forgot to
say that Cass regt was in
our division and she had

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take my advice and
answer his letter as if she
was in his place she would
know how to value a letter
from anybody in the North
Tell Ern Hunting that he
must not think it strange
that I do not have time to
write to you as often as
I want to without writing to
any one else  The card
that I enclose belongs to
Emily Moulton Give my
respects to Mary Jennie &
Ada Stedman and all other
friends and tell them to
write and I will answer
as quick as possible tell
them not to wait for
answers.  Send me some

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stamps as our officers say
our letters will not go now
without being prepaid and
we have to pay 5 cts for
stamps we were paid off
before we began this
march but I did not
send any money home as
our food was light and I
have wanted to buy bread &
meat when I could and have
had to pay at the rate of
25 cts a loaf, and other things
in proportion. Give my respects
to Aunt Abby & all other inquiring
friends and take my love
yourself
From your aff son
Wm Wallace

William Wallace Smith, 22nd Regt., Massachusetts Infantry


MSS 15360