[George’s father made a dating error in copying out this letter, either in the heading or in the 1st line]

My Dear Father I take my pen in hand to answer yours of Feby 9
I was not aware it was so long since I received it, time passes so quickly,
that the weeks & months pass without our noticing it, I have no news to write you
you of course read the papers & are as well posted as I am in regard to the
movements of the Army in your letter you predict the war will end shortly
you speak of the recent victories, & ask me what more I want to convince me
that the war will end shortly, now if Forts Henry & Donlason were the only
Forts, & Columbus, Nashville, Bowling Green were the only strong holds of the rebels
then I might think the war would end shortly but if you will look at the
subject in its true light you will see that there is A vast amount of work to be
accomplished yet, there are other places [?] Columbus, Nashville, Roanoke
Island these places did not contain A quarter of the Rebel Army you think
A large portion of the Rebel Army will not reenlist I think otherwise my
reason for thinking so are these the army are made to believe that all the
North is after is to plunder & murder, to take away thier property & do A great
many other things fully as bad & when they have none to convince them to the
contrary they of course will hold out to the last, I judge from what I saw at
Accomac they all believed that we were comeing to destroy every thing & were
verry much surprised to find we did not trouble any thing that belonged to
them, now about the 5th well we are on the Federal Hill where we have been
since the 26th of last July & the prospect of our stopping here untill next
July verry good Maryland especially Baltimore must be watched this
City is full of secesh to be sure there is A large number of Union men here
but they could not do much if it were not for the presence of Troops, this
Regiment is the pet of the Union People, we had A grand Parade on the
22d. our old Col Duryee is in Baltimore, the Brigade of which he is
the commander is stationed at different points guarding the railroad
every mile of railroad from Harrisburgh to Washington is guarded three
companies of this Regiment are stationed at Fort Marshall opposite Fort Federal
Hill distance about three miles we may move from here but it dont look much
like it, my health is good, when you send me A paper do send me A whole
one I had rather have only one A week & have A whole one, you may think
I am mighty particular but I like to read the advertisements because I
always find some names that are familiar to me, hopeing we shall meet
again I remain your Son

Geo. W. Leavitt

Letters from George Leavitt and his brother Joseph Leavitt 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