Friday, January 11, 2013

1862 December 26 across the Rappahannock from Fredericksburg


Camp of the Fifth Maine near the Rappahannock River Va Dec 26th 1862

Dear father   I received yours & Williams letter Boath[sic] of them was dated
the 20th which I was verry glad to receive there is A report going round that this Bri
gade is going to Washington to do Guard duty which I hope is so because I think if
there is A Regiment  or Brigade in the Army that ought to have a resting spell
this ought to be the one, I am well & enjoying the same good health I will now try & answer your ques
tions.  About General McLellan, why he did not cross the River I think it was because the
mens clothing is poor, I know that there was not A Man in the whole Brigade that had A
pair of shoes fit for anything I know that I never see the time since I have been in the Poto
mac Army that I was so poor of for[sic] clothing as I was in Maryland, what I mean by being
under fire of the Enemy is this we was drawing upon A line of battle in the centre & their Artil
ery Fire was over us by their having A crossfire on the left & right you say that the Fighting
was mostly done by Artilery there was as much Infantry as Artiley A fighting & I am glad to
that the 15th & 17th Maine Regiments done well & out of one company in the 16th there
twenty one killed & wounded besides the Captain & first Lieutenant I will close this
by saying give my love  to Mother & all enquiring friends I have not seen Daniel Shaw
since I wrote last From you son Joseph Leavitt
P.S. I have no postage stamps & cannot get them, as I have not been paid
off yet, but expect to soon Yours Joseph Leavitt
                                                      I shall send as soon as paid
Call at Fred R Harrisses Hat Store & you will find A letter for
you that Captain Harris carried there he was out here the other day
& started for Home again

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 1865 as a remembrance of his boys both of whom died in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania

MSS 66

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