1862 July 21 Harrison's Landing, Va.

Camp Fifth Maine Regiment near Harrisons Landing Va July 21st 1862
Dear Father--I received yours of the 12th & 14th  day before yesterday and
yours of the 12th had A Peice about this Regiment & the one of the 14th had four
stamps enclosed which I was glad to receive as I had got all out of them here
& I cannot get them here & I cannot tell the reason why there has been A change
in the Company by having the first Lieutenant Promoted to the Captaincy of
the Company & the second Promoted to the Place of First in Company H & Lieut
& Lieutent Clarke A Brother of my Comrade Clarke has been promoted from
second Lieut to First in this Company & now this Company has the two best drill
ed Officers in the Regiment for the last week or two this Brigade has been
doing Picket & fatigue duty such as Building Breast Works which work we
have most done I should have answered your letters yesterday but we rece
ied orders in the Morning to be ready to go at night one O Clock & stand out
this noon when we was relieved by the 18 New York of this Division Which bel
ongs to Genl Nortons Brigade some how or other this Company is always out
as skirmishers when we are on Picket I do not know how it is but we are the only
company in the Regiment which is drilled thorough, And I do not know but
that is it, it is Just one year ago to day that I had my first experience in being
in battle that was A bad one for us since then I have seen but one battle
that I thought was worse & that was on the Friday at Gains Mill & that was
an awful one for anyone to be in but I was in it & I cannot say that I want to
be in another one such as that but if I am called of course I shall go that is
if I am able to do so, I will now close this by saying that I am well as ever
& [I hope]  that is the Case with you & Mother & of the rest of the Folks, this moving[sic]
Morning  I received the new Paper that you sent called the Press, tell
Frank Crawford that I shall write to him sometime this week as I can
not, I will now close by saying this is from you Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters of Joseph Leavitt, of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John after the war as a remembrance of them. Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania.  


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