1862 December 13 Across the river

Across the River Dec 13th 1862

Dear Father   we crossed the River day before yesterday & have been
under the fire of the enemy since but cannot tell when the infantry
will be engaged there has been heavy firing almost all of this morning on the
left & right Franklin was the first to cross & I believe we are waiting for Sumner
& Hooker I will now close these few line as we are now under the fire of the
enemy & I hope you will not worry yourself about me I know Just how you
feel having one son killed in the Army I will now close by saying that I am
well but cannot tell what will happen From your son Joseph Leavitt
write soon, write soon,  Here is A letter that I wrote when I was at Stafford Court House

[Letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied in a ledger by their father in the fall of 1864 by their father as a remembrance of his sons, both of whom were mortally wounded, George at 2nd Bull Run, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, 1864]

MSS 66