1862 September 23 Williamsport, Md.

Williams Port Md Sept 23d 1862

Dear Father -- I received you letter of the eleventh with the bad
news that Edward was about to die which was bad for me I always have had
him & all the rest of the Family at Home in my mind & then being out here as far from
home & knowing that I cannot be there before the dies it comes hard but I shall
try as you will to do my duty like A Man.  I have done what I have always done
what I thought was my duty & I here can say this & have the Officers of my company
to back it that I never flinched from going into battle although I do not like
to go into the Field, I give you my word that I will never give one minutes Pain
to you Father I can see things in A different light than what I could when I was
at Home, I have learned more since I joined the Army than I could in six
years at Home I do not by smokeing & chewing & swearing because I do neither now
I do not mean to I have got along so far without doing either& I do not think I will
begin now.  I knew that Edward was unwell & had to give up business but did
not think he was so near death you say he spoke about George & Me. I never felt
so Homesick as I did when I read it although I have spoken about Him in such
ways at Home I never meant what I said & hope he has forgot them I only wished
that I knew it. A little sooner I would have tried to get A Furlough to come home
which I think I could have got verry easy in such A case. I will close this by
saying that I am well & as this State is rid of Rebels I hope that we will soon
go into Winter quarters but I suppose that we will have to follow them up they
are on the Virginia Side of the River we & we are on this side we captured one hundred
waggons day before yesterday filled with flour, 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 journal after the war by their father as a remembrance of his sons, both of whom died in the war. George died at 2nd Bull Run and his family has not yet received the news.  Joseph died at Spotsylvania.]

MSS 66