1862 September 24 Williamsport

Camp Franklin Sept 24th 1862

Dear Father we are now encamped on this old camping Ground once
more & I do not that we will move again for some time to come not untill
the Army is recruited & the new troops get so that they can be perfect in
drill you cannot tell how the Men shouted when they read in the Clipper
this morning that George McClellan had been given the whole command of
the Army that Man the Army has confidence in, & so have I thee is but one Gen
eral in the Field that the men have no confidence in & that is McDowell
& I never did & Just as long as the men know such Generals have the command
they feel as though there would be A defeat & you know Just as well as I do
that men will not fight under A General that they have no confidence in
as they will under one that they have & the only one that I know that they
will fight under is little Mac  you know the letter that I wrote to you Just
after comeing from the Peninsular, that we was bound to Culpepper which
place I thought we were going to but instead of that we went on foot and
arrived on the old battle Field Just in time from saving A real Panic on
Account of A Certain General which I nor any other one in the Army has
no confidence in I will close this now by saying that now as McClellan has
command things will be straten out & things will go on to the satisfaction
of the People at Home.  P.S  you ought to have sent that box by
express instead of the sanitary commission for the express Folks
will not trouble themselves about it if you send me another Box I
want you to send it by express then I shall get it
      From your Son
                                               Joseph Leavitt

[note by John Leavitt:]
I dont exactly understand this letter for it is dated Sept 24/62 at Camp
Franklin & the one dated 23/62 hails from Williamsport Md where he was
undoubtedly & the letter will not say in Sept 24/61, nor Oct 24/62 & the general import
forms no guide although he refers to what he wrote August 27 about going to Culpeper
therefore I conclude there is some mistake in the date although I have [illegible]

John Leavitt of Portland, Maine, copied letters from his sons Joseph of the 5th Maine, and George of the 5th  New York into a ledger after the war as a remembrance of the boys, both of whom were killed in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania.

MSS 66