Dear Ma:-
You no doubt all of you wonder at my long silence as I have not written home since Mr. Fox went up but we have been on pickett so constantly since that time that I have not had an opportunity and besides the Army has been moved from Fairfax C.H. up to Centreville and such confusion you cannot imagine. When the Army was moved up we were on Pickett and not a bit of infantry between us and the main body of the Army. It was a great wonder that our whole Regiment was not captured. We started from on Pickett near Alexandria at Miller Cross Roads the other night and walked to Centreville that night the distance being fourteen miles. We have had some awful times on Pickett lately but I hope it will not be so bad hereafter. Nearly the whole Army is encamped around Centreville. Our Gens. are fortifying very strongly here. It is the best natural position for a fight I have ever seen. Centreville is situated on very high ground with large plains stretching out from it on every side. Our guns are being mounted in such positions that they will mow the enemy for almost a mile.

I was very glad to hear yesterday by W. Lehew that Walter is O.S. of the W. Rangers. When you write you must give me the particulars of the fight as I heard Bowen’s company had a fight a few days since. I heard that Mount Cloud distinguished himself in the engagement. Tell Walter he must write to me. I have not received a single line from him since I have been in the Army.

Thousands of reports are flying around this evening as to the movements of the enemy but we don’t know when to place confidence in them.

Pa wrote to me to know if I did not want the overcoat I sent up again until he could have me one made. Tell him that I have borrowed Irving’s until mine is made. I do not know what I would have done on Pickett without it. Ma please send me down a pair of rough grey pants with a black stripe upon them. If it was not for washing I would take the white cloth pants. I have patched and patched my old pants until nothing but patches are left.

I received the butter and catsup by Gus the other day. Very much obliged to you for them. I will send the can and bottles up by the first opportunity.

You never heard such exorbitant prices as are asked the soldiers for every thing they get. To give you an idea of the prices they ask I went up in Centreville this evening to one of the stores and asked them what was the price of their candles, they told me 12 1/2 cents a piece, that would break old Stephen Girard.

Tell Pa he must come down. We are within seven miles of the Junction now.

William Walters who will hand you this note has gotten a transfer to Captain E[?] Company in the same Regiment with Walter. It will be a good opportunity for you to send anything you have to him.

How has cousin Sue gotten I heard she was very ill.

I heard that G. Williams and John Simpson had returned from Missouri. what company do they intend joining? I must close. Write soon.

Ever your affec. son,
R[ichard] B[ayly] B[uck]

MSS 3064

Dear Richard [Bayly Buck]

It is nearly midnight or
I would write you a note.
You find in the bag two bottles
Tomato Catsup and a Can of Butter
I hope they may reach you safely
I saw Cousin Geo Black just from Camp
today–He reports Walter well–
I refer you to “Gus” for the news.
He will tell you of the battle at
Harpers ferry–of John Simpsons Kin
Geo Williams’ arrival &c&c
Kind regards for the Company
Very Affectionately
Your Pa
M. B. Buck

MSS 3064

Dear Father I have just Received a Letter from you dated Oct 14th William Knows that James Hillar that I spoke about in my Last Letter to you I hear that he went to church the First Sunday that He got Home in his Officers suit & he told them that he was appointed Lieutenant in this Company he was nothing but A pot stewer for one of the Officirs & is now try8ing to pass himselfe off as A Lieutenant and when he was nothing But a pot stewer for Samuel L. Carlton of Portland before he enlisted at Portland He Maide Blieve sick & hobling round the Camp Ground with an old cane As I am setting down to write to you I receive a Paper of the twelveth In one of your Letters to me you wanted me to write to you & give you the name of the Officers in the regiment I will commence with Company A, the Gorham Company is commanded by Capt. Willet and First Lieutenant Speed A Company B from Biddiford which is commanded by Captain Stevens & first Lieutenant Philbrook & the Saco Company C, is commanded by Capt Barrows & first Lieut Stevens & Company D of Brunswick is commanded by Capt Small & Lieut Clarke & Company E is commanded by Capt Fagget & First Lieut Lemont & second Lieut Robinson & Company F is commanded by First Lieut Walker he use to be a Police Officer in Portland & second Lieut Atwood & Company G is commanded by Capt. Thomas J. Sawyer and acting first Lieut Dearing & second Lieut McFearson & Company H commanded by Capt George Brown & Company I commanded by Capt Edwards belonging to Bethel & Mechanic falls Company K Capt Spiller g & to Samuel give my Love to all the Family & to Samuel Safford I wish you would not write so much foolish stuff From you Son Joseph Leavitt

Letters from Joseph Leavitt and his brother George 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

Major Jno B Cocke
Belmead

My Dear Sir
I was
disappointed in not meeting you
here yesterday We had a great
deal of fun at the Race–Beaure
-gard–Have’s entry won the purse
and all went to the Sick Soldiery
of Petersburg & Richmond.

I remained here to day
to try & buy Mohican–who belonged
to Tom Watson–decd–He sold for
$750–I bid $725 for him. He
was a very fine animal & I
wanted him very much.

I think now that I shall
leave Richmond next Tuesday
morning for Ala–I have given
out my Norfolk trip.

I have an idea of leaving
my little Arab mare with you
& would like to see you in Rich

[page 2]
mond Sunday or Monday. If I
do not leave her with you I shall
take her to Alabama.

With kind remembran
-ces to the Ladies of Belmead and
hoping to see you before I leave
in Richmond–I am very truly
Yr Friend
Robert T Saunders

P.S.
I wrote you from Richmond
last Monday–Perhaps you did
not get my letter.

MSS 640

Dear Grandpa (General John Harwell Cocke)

As Mama is going to
send over to the boat, I seat myself to
write you a few lines to fulfill my
promise Mama sent a box to Papa
yesterday evening, and I sent a letter
in it, and little afterwards the
mail came and I received a [letter]
from Pap, which Mam is going to se[nd]
you to read.

Cousin Nancy says tha[t]
she were here wish you were here to
day to go to church with her and see
three Mourners at the Enquireires[sic] bench
Mr Tyree and Dr Jeter are coming
tomorrow night to stay all night

As I can send you nothing by my love

[page 2]
goodbye
yurs. truly
Chas. H. Cocke
P.S.
cousin Noney B. and Cousin
Nanny and Aunt Mary sends
their best regards to you.
C.H.C. A[unt?] Mary [sa]ys tha[t]
she wish the you
were here to se[e]
Little[?] [?] lo[?]
ing at the [?]
A[?]

Margins of letter are chewed away

MSS 640

[From the diary of Wesley Hammond of Co. E, 42nd Virginia Infantry, the Dixie Greys]

Battalion drill this morn-
ing – Act as Lieut – Read 3
chapters in bible. Study tac-
tics some as usual, Our
officers receive their pay
Seemed to please them very
much – Day rather rainy
expecially [sic] towards night

MSS 5526

My dear Maggie [Cochran]

I have treated you very badly in not
answering your letter before this, but I trust to your good
nature to forgive me. Everything I believe goes on
in the same old way at Folly. last week Jennie and I with
Annie went over to Mr Harrisons and stayed two days we
had a very pleasant visit, Aunt Maria came out while
we were there She looks badly. Mr. Harrison has the finest
set of children I ever saw, Cousin Jane is as large as her
Mother used to be (for Aunt Maria has fallen off a good
deal) she looks well, and all were well except bad colds–
I havent been in Town but once since the Peytons came
I hope to get to see them soon, Jinnie and I were
talking about going to see Miss Rachel Lewis next
week but it is so hard to get horses, that we are very
[?]
I have had a piece of Edging
that Tarlton sent you in a letter to D[?]
some time ago so I will enclose it in this letter, it belonged to Miss
Munson, and Tarlton got it while they were on Picket duty
at Munsons Hill, he sent Annie a little piece Also[?]

[the edging is still attached to this letter]

I begin to feel quite anxious to see you all but I am
afraid of Annie getting the measles. she hasn’t
been very well lately I thing she is cutting four
teeth at once and then she has a very bad cold–I wish
you could see her now she talks very plainly but she is
very much spoilt, when I go to Town I will try and get
her likeness taken, and send it over to you all–
Tell Mittie I was glad to get her letter and will try
and answer it soon. Ask Aunt Sarah if she has forgotten
me, I would write to her if I thought she would like

[page 2]
to hear from me but I have written her two or three letters
and haven’t received any answers Tell her her friend John
Gilkerson came home very sick with the Dysentery and
when I last heard from him it was feared that he would
not recover–he has been out in the west, Columbus–
Davis is sick at Monterey, Aunt Jane Amis is going out
there to nurse him I believe Bob and Jimmie Cochran
are both getting well, Jimmie I suppose will go back soon
There are a great many sick in the army in the west they
send wagon loads of sick to Staunton almost every
day. the Soldiers out there undergo many hardships
they scarce get one meal a day. the roads are so bad they
cannot get provisions to them I believe Col Baldwin’s Brigade
is still on the Alegheny When did you last hear from
your Brother John? we haven’t seen any of his letters for
some time, How is Flowe[?] getting on, and where is Henry
and Willie? Has Henry gotten a situation as Surgeon–
I never saw Mr Crawfords store so completely stripped of every
thing as it is now, no dress goods of any kind except a few
B[?] He has been selling a good many things in Richmond
I think he will have to close up very soon I think George
would be right sorry if he did he seems to be so will satisfied
Staunton ladies are still very busy knitting and sewing for
the Soldiers, they have a large Overcoat Factory, and employ
over two hundred women, I believe they have made a
thousand overcoats already

The young Ladies have been having a good many beaus
lately. there has been a good many Georgians in Town that
have been sick but are now well, some of them are very nice
looking young men, they have geen doing sociables and
little dancing parties although it is war times.–
Give our love to all write soon as ever your
affectionate Sister Lizzie Cochran
How is Nonnie and Mrs Carrington and Cousin Ginnie?

[from the diary of James Dinsmore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio Infantry]

after Guard Mounting four of
us went over the River and
got a sheep did not get
Back until afternoon
Commenced raining this afternoon
had some good guning exercise to-
day am visiting a little this Eve

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Francis G. Hale of the 34th Ohio Zouaves]

It is still rainin this
morning but not very
hard the frogs
are hollowing here like
every thing it sounds
like spring there
is a piana left here
the boys are make
ing it ring like
every thing
there is a man to be
bueried to day here
he died com ing up
on the boat of the
feaver they got his
coffin mad it sett
on the portch all
night I do not know
where the buerying
ground is here
There is a monument
up on the hill in
front of this house
it is made of wood
with a pailing fence
a round it we have
no heard of our boys
lately how they are
getting a long but
hope they are all
wright. some of them
are bare footed and
I am very near the
same if we do not
get some soone I
will desist or kick
up a big fuss I
am a bout strapt
or I would buy me
a pair of shoes
there is no chance
to hook any or I would
have me a pair pretty soon
if I could I do not
mean to say I would
hook them but I
would get some body
to get them for me
it is no wonder that
a soldier is
hard if you Could see what
I have saw you
would think the
sane there us a man that died with the
feaver yester day that
layed out in the
air all night last
night with nothing
but a blanket over
him he lays there now
and it is near night
has layed there all
day the same I spoke
of before if ever
I get out of this
I will never try
my hand again
at soldiering if I
can help it it
is still raining but
not very hard
I bought a pair of
shoes to day for 50 cts
they are pretty nigh new
but are second hande
they took the dead
man out to night
to beary him
it is still raining
and no likely hood
of quitting. soon
I have to weight
on 18tteen men now
by my selfe the fellow
that was with me
is played out and
I feele like I would
soone if not relieve

MSS 13405

Dear Mother–I made a Mistake & call Camp Lyon i do not know the name yet I receved a Letter from Father dated the 121th with Four Papers and among them was a paper that had that Letter in it that Father spoke about It was written by a Sargent of My Company his name is Patterson he use to write for the Courier when he was at Portland I want you to tell William Banks to write to me Father wanted me to tell him why I got some one else to write the letter for me the reason was that I was doing something round the Camp Ground and And[sic] As i received a Letter from him that day I thought I would let write one for me as I Always Answer the Letter Just as soon as I receive any from Him so that I wont forget it, I do not want you nor him to put yourselves to any uneasiness about me Being sick Because I think I can stand it & I am bound to stay till this truble is settle 8if it is not for six years to come there id Eighteen tents allowed to a Company there is one thing & that is this I would not write to you & tell you that I could stand it if I thought I could not you must remember that it is coming on cold wether now I have see some nights out here as cold as some of them at Home in the Middle of february our Camp Ground is right under the Guns of Fort Blenker & Blenkers Regiment of Germans is in the Fort This is the noble one that covered our retreat at Bulls run & they are A hard set of Men the regiment is Just going out to be Reviewed by General Franklin & the hold Division is to be there amounting to Twenty five thousand Men as I am writing I receivd two Letters dated the 12th & 13th From Father there has been here three men from Portland there names are Mitchell of Portland he is conducter of Honebeck railroad & Clemons of the firm of Kimball & Clemens carriage makers & George Burnton there was A man Shott in the Saco Company tonight, I want you to understand that I am well enough to stand it out here No I did not get that thing from you I am able to stand it & if they is another Fight I am in it Father said in one of his Letters to me that there was no Bragging in my Letters as they was in some of the Letters that some of the Boys wrote to Home there was A Boy that got his discharge & as soon as he got to the City he bot an Officers suit to were Home & I Suppose he will say he was an officer His name was Jim Hillar he use to work for P G Carleton of Portland give my Love to all of the Folks & to John & Samuel Safford From your Son Joseph Leavitt.

Letters from Joseph Leavitt and his brother George 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