1862 October 21 Bakersville, Md.

Bakersville Maryland  Oct 21st 1862

Dear Father--I received your two letters of the 14th & 15th last night &
and was glad to hear of your good health which I hoped was the same with Edward
I still hope that he may be spared give him my love & tell him that perhaps
I may have the privelidge of seeing him once more, & that I continually think
of him, so far from Home, & have let them old feelings pass from my mind &
think that I was to blame the Division I suppose you have heard has Lost
General Slocum as he has been Promoted to A Major General & the old command
of General Burnside has been assigned to him the reason I suppose is because
General Burnside has been assigned to take command of one of the expeditions
that are getting up to go against Charleston & Savannah as he done so well last
winter & the Col of this regiment has been promoted to Brigadier General for
gallant conduct in the Field I can tell you that the Division feels bad about
General Slocums leaving on account of his looking out so well for the
men & he was one of that kind that the Straps on his shoulders did not make
him feel above A Private but would go anytime & sit down on A old log and
chat away with him Just as quick as he would with an Officer & so it is the
way with General Jackson & the Boys of the Regiment are sorry to part with
him, I suppose you would like to know the number of men in the regiment
that are fit for duty there is Just two hundred & sixty that draw rations
enclosed in this you will find A letter that I wrote for Mother last Sunday
& I thought I would not send it untill I got one from Home which for the
last fortnight or so, I have received as much as twenty all from you, William
& Henry & Ellen, you say that you got A letter from the commanding Officer
of Georges company & that it is to be published in the Advertiser. Cut the letter
out & put it in the next letter that you write as I am not so sure of getting the
paper, as I am your letter, I received that needle & thread that you spoke
about in your last letter & I like to see letters come in they way I have for the
time that I have been  in Maryland, & never shall get tired of reading of them
but the more I get the better I like it, I suppose by the time that you get
this you will see Captain Brown who has been honorably discharged from
the Regiment I must close this by wishing that Edward will improve in
health & hope that his Family & Lizzie are all well & all at Home.
P.S. tell William & Henry that I shall write to them next Sunday
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 at the end of the war by their father John as a remembrance of his sons both of whom died in the war, George at Second Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania]

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