Dear Father
As I have not receivd but one letter from you this week I thought I would set down & write to you and find out the reason that you have not sent only one letter, & no Papers because I think it kind of strange I always receive one about every other day I am on Picket & am gone to stay out Four days & am staying in A House & are relieved every sixteen hours whe have turnips & potatoes a plenty out here I like Picketing Better than Camp Life I have no more time to write any more because I want to send it in by the team I am well & hope this will find you the same & the Family. From your Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied into a ledger by their father John Leavitt in October 1865 “because they are of value to me and I was fearful that they might get mislaid.” Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at Second Bull Run, August 30, 1862, and Joseph at Spotsylvania, May 18, 1864

MSS 66