1862 Sept 20 Alexandria, Va. Leavitt

Sharpsburgh Maryland Sept 20th 1862
Dear Father  I suppose you are anxious to hear from me
after A delay of some weeks I should have written to you before if we
had not had so much marching to do we have been on the Tramp for
some weeks & have cleared Maryland from the Rebel invaders & they
have had A good whipping & I think that they will remember this
State. Last Sunday this Corps was in A battle & captured Grampion Gap
the way it was done was by the bayonet the Rebel Force we were fighting was
under the command of Howell Cobb that was in the United States Treasury
department I suppose you know [w]ho he is I was in the battle & came safe out
of it I thought that I saw hard sights on the Peninsular but it was nothing
compared to the slaughter that our Artilery had done in this State James
Colley was wounded in the leg slightly & I am sorry to say Mrs Bonneys son
was killed in the battle day before yesterday he belonged to the tenth Maine
you wanted to know what the reason was that Frank Tebbetts & William
Hamilton was in Alaxandria for they was sick & I am glad to say that
Tebbetts is well & in the ranks again I only write these few lines to let you know
that I am well &  hope this will find you the same I told you if they would
only let McClelan alone he would finish things & I think so now does not things
look brighter than they did A few months ago when they gave the command
to Another, P.S. have you hear anything from George because I have not
From you son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt, of the 5th Maine, and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father in the fall of 1865 as a keepsake of sons both of whom died in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania.   At this date George has already been killed but his brother has not yet received the news.

MSS 66