[from the diary of James Dismore Templeton, musician and private in the 23rd Ohio]
Saturday, May 10, 1862
A day full of events
were aroused up this
morning with the
report that we were
attacked which fact
we very soon realized
a large force of the
Rebels came upon us
with artillery shells
soon began to fly and
infantry opened upon
us. the scene was
indeed terrific  We
were obliged to retr
eat We slowly but
in good order retreated
were followed up
came on to the Bridge
there halted for a time
skirmishing. their artil
ery came up and we
again went forward stop-
ped at the brick house three
miles for reinforcements 30th came up
also howitzers lost one chest  camped Clear

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Lt. John Tyler of the Letcher Artillery]
 
May 10th  Very warm & sultry.  A fire
occurred in the brush within a short
distance of our battery and spread
very rapidly the wind fortunately
blowing it away from us.  Col Mars-
-hall’s regiment was turned out
and after hard work at last suc-
-ceeded in stopping it.  The Capt be-
ing absent I ordered the drivers to
gear their horses in case the wind
should shift and it became nesces-

-sary  to move our pieces.  To day I
was Battery officer of the day.

[transcription by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 6150

Camp Warren near West Point Va. May 12th 1862

My Dear Brother your letter of the 5th Inst is before me you wish me to
give yo the particulars of the evacuation of Yorktown, you get the
particulars of everything that happens in this part of the country before I do
we although right on the spot have to wait for the papers before we know what has
been done with A mile of our Camp all I can say is the retreat from Yorktown was
A complete panic, the Rebels did make A stand at Williamsburgh & had
double the number that we had yet they retreated in great haste as the rout
gave evidence we found waggons that had been partly burned & waggons
without any spokes in the wheels & waggons that were stuck fast in the mud
with pole sawed off so they would be of no use to us yet for all this this
Rebellion is no nearer being crushed than it was six months ago, you will
wish to know my reasons for thinking as I do, I will tell you my reasons
in A few words this Rebelion will never be crushed as long as Jeff Davis his cab
inet or any of the leaders in this rebellion are at liberty they are got to
be taken before it is crushed you say Yorktown is Evacuated, so is New
Orleans, Norfolk & Richmond nearly surrounded well what of that they
can evacuate Richmond (which I have no doubt they will in a verry
short time) & move to some other place then 2we have to go after them you
may think my reasoning is not sound, well it may not be, but I dont see
the war ended as soon as the newspaper editors see it, it is all verry well
to sit in you office & write articles for the paper about the way to crush
the rebelion & Point out road to take for Richmond, the thing is to
take that road which is Pointed out I used to grumble A gread deal
about the slow movements of McLellan, but since our Regiment has
been in active service I have seen enough to convince me that I nor any
Ediotr of Newspapers know anything about the business there is A great
deal of work to be done & it will take A long time to do it, how long we shall
remain at this present Camp I cannot tell this Brigade is in no
division but is under the command of Genl Mclellan & when he moves
his head Quarters we will move also, I saw Joseph the day before
the evacuation of Yorktown he is now some miles in the advance he
looks well & says that he is enjoying good health please give my
respects to Mrs Leavitt hopeing I shall have the pleasure of paying
you A visit & taking A cup of tea at your table I remain your
Brother
George

Letters from George Leavitt of the 5th New York  and his brother Joseph of the 5th Maine 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.

[from the diary of Jonathan Hager of the 14th U. S. Regulars, as copied by him at a later date]

This morning we struck our tents, packed up
our valises, rolled up our bedding & took up
our line of march.  I think the question as to
whee we were going & how we were going was
asked a thousand times & fully ;discussed.
It was finally settled–among ourselves– that
we were going to Yorktown & there embark for
for West Point.  the idea was pleasant for it
was a very hot day, and a little steamboat ride
up York River would be so delightful and we
would be spared so long a march–It was
so clear in Gen McClellan to select us for the
ride while so many walked–this is the
advantage regulars have over Volunteers thought
we. ha! ha! ha!  We marched to Yorktown, dust
almost intolerable–We halted in the street
for a long time–Why so long a halt?  ah,
perhaps the transports are not quite ready.
May be the head of the column is already
embarking & as it is slow work, it takes
time & our turn will soon come–Nor would
we permit ourselves to think aught else.
Finally the column moves–At last thought we,
we will get out of this suffocating place and
enjoy the refreshing breeze from the noble river.
We moved on–Curious, thought we!  The
columns seems to file tot he left & up the hill,
leaving the river far to the right–Perhaps we
are going to another landing.  Alas!  for human
hopes & expectations.  We were on the way for
a long march under the rays of a southern
sun.  It was useless to detail the incidents
of the march. There was much suffering among
the men. This was their first march in hot
weather. Their heavy knapsacks, Haversacks with
three days rations, ammunition 60 rounds and
musket made a tremendous weight.  On we
marched.  Stragglers lined the road.  The 5th N.Y.
Duryea’s Zouaves, with their red
turkish pants lying along the road made a
picture rarely seen in a landscape view.  At
least half the regiment fell out complaining
of exhaustion.  Nor could the efforts of their
officers prevent it.  The number of regulars
that straggled were proportionately few.  It
is in a march of this kind that the effect
of  good discipline is manifest.
We reached Williamsburg in the afternoon
& halted to give the men a rest.  This place once so
flourishing as the Capital of Virginia is now
a miserable place.  More miserable perhaps in
consequence of the War, but at best seems to
be in a rapid decline.  William & Mary College
an old & time honored institution of learning
located here appears to be the only thing for
which the town lives.

It was almost impossible to get a drink
of water here. Nearly every house was closed &
not a store or shop open. We found a little
girl in an humble tenement, who brought us
some miserable stuff in a dirty pitcher, but even
this as acceptable, & the little girl was kept
extremely busy while we stayed there in sup-
plying the officers with water & I imagine she
had not seen so much silver in a long time as
she made that  hour we lay in the street.
But there was no rest for the wicked.  Forward
was the word & we left Williamsburg with
all its ancient glory and its modern wretchedness
behind us.  Very soon after getting beyond the
outskirts of the Village we crossed the battle
ground,  the scene, a few days before of the
bloody battle.  There was very little to indicate
that a terrific battle had been fought here
only three or four days before–A few dead
horses here & there–an old coat–an old
knapsack–a shattered canteen, were all
that the passer-by could see of that strife.
where McClellan said “Hancock was superb”
The redoubts were all empty & quiet reigned su-
preme.  We at last reached our bivouacking
ground about three miles above the town. Our
baggage did not keep up with us, so that we
took to a tree for out covering, glad to lie any
where.  Supper was not to be thought of and
as we did not know whence any could come,
did not spend much time in such useless thoughts.
Our sleep that night was sweet. Oh Ye who pant
for sleep & lie upon downy beds, restless and
rolling through the tedious hours. Ye know not
one tithe of the sweet comforts of a sleep after
a long, fatigueing, tedious & hot march, upon
an empty stomach.  No rolling & tossing then.
No nightmare then. All is serene & calm & the
inventor of sleep is more than thrice blessed.
Our march this day was about Eighteen miles.
Though tied myself I exhibited no signs of it,
thus setting a good example to the men.  I
rallied many a man & ridiculed him out of
his fatigue.

MSS 9044

                              WM. A. TURNER, Pres’t
                                    D. J. HARTSOOK, Cash.

Bank of Howardsville,
Howardsville, Va.,  May 9th  1862

Gen. J. H. Cocke
           Bremo
                      Dr Sir
                            The Manufacturer of
Sabres for the C.S. at this place finds
it difficult to get grind stones to finish
up his work, He has been informed
that you have on your Estate stone
well suited to make them.
It is important to our cause to get every
material to facilitate the making of weapons
for the army and I know you will do
all you can to it may not however
be in your power to engage a force at
this Work–The price is very renumerat
ive now 3 cents per lb. in Richmond.
Please let me hear what you
can do on the premises.  I hope you
can prepare them & if so Mr Driscoll
who makes the sabres will go down
and point out the kind of grit & sizes
he prefers. or if you cannot do the work
he will if permitted by you try and get some
party to do it.  very Res.
                       D.J. Hartsook

[from the diary of Samuel Johnson, of the 1st Massachusetts Independent Light Battery]

                       May 8th

Remained in harness all night.  every thing
is very quiet.  The celebrated Hampton
Leigon, 2nd Va. 4th Ala. two regts of dismou-
-nted cavalry, and several Louisana regts,
were among the reb.’s who fought us
yesterday.  Reinforcments are constantly
arriving.  In the evening.  Gen Mc Clellan
and Staff arrived.  News of the capture
of Norfolk, and the iron clad Merrimac
reach us to day.  The woods in which
the heaviest of the fighting took place
are on fire.  Prisoners are being
brought in constantly.  Mild and
pleasant.

Friday  May 9th  1862

My darling wife
I write this from the Long
Bridge in Charles City County about 20
miles from Richmond and 12 from Charles
City C H  I have only once had an opportunity
of writing to you and yet I am afraid
you will never get that letter, even if
you get this–I write this intending to give
it to the first man I meet who may be
able to put it in the office.
We left Yorktown on Saturday night and
after a very disagreeable and tedious
journey arrived in Wmsburg Sunday morning
The enemy followed us very close in
small numbers and we had a small
fight near Wmsburg Sunday evening
in which we got the better.  Monday
morning we got ready at 3 oclock
and waited on the road side in a
heavy rain until 12 for the trains to
pass which preceeded us in the march
we then started and of all the muddy
wet and disagreeable journeys I ever
saw, ours of Monday excelled.  When
we were out of Wmsburg about four
or five miles news was brought that

[page 2]
enemy were attacking our rear, two
brigades were sent back and the
fight of Monday took place in which
we gained a decided advantage with
considerable loss on our side in
killed and wounded–the fight took
place in the field in which fort Magru-
-der is situated–with regard to those
of our acquaintance who are killed
or not I cannot speak with any
certainty at all reports and rumors are
so conflicting and contradictory that I
am at a loss what to believe or
what not–the 19th Reg was in the fight
of Monday and captured a federal
battery.  John Davies was not hurt as
I heard from some men who knew
him and saw him afterwards–He
was very much fatigued and worn
out by want of food–Wednesday
we met heavy commissary trains on
their way to meet the army  On
Wednesday we took the wrong road
and came up on a portion of our
army drawn up on line of battle near
Barmsville–we were ordered to take
another road and two hours after the
enemy attacked our army at
Barmsville where we gained another

[page 3]
victory.  I would like to give you more
news with regard to our army but I
am afraid of giving currency to false
reports and it is extremely hard to tell
the true from the false–We as a
company have been in no fight atall
owing to our guns being so heavy
and difficult to carry–
I have no doubt but that you at
home have heard a thousand & one
rumors with regard to events down
here and I have no doubt also that
the thousand are false and the one
true–We are still on our way towards
Richmond, where we are going, no
man knows, perhaps to Fredericksburg.
What have you done with regard
to my transfer?  I havent heard
from you for more than a week
and of course I am anxious to hear
from you–I hope and trust
that you are well and in good
spirits–I saw Miss Helen Coleman
as I passed through Wmsburg–the
whole family were going to
Clarksville–Mr Sanders’ family
left Sunday evening by land for

[page 4]
Richmond, but got among the trains
& troops and could only get 12 ms
in two days and one of those days
was the wet Monday.  I saw them
on the road–
I hope my precious darling that
I may be permitted to see you
before long–I cant tell you how
much I want to be with you
Give my love to every body
and believe me as ever
Your devoted & affectionate

Husband

unsigned letter of Howe Peyton Cochran of the 1st Virginia Artillery


MSS 9380

[from the diary of Matthella Page Harrison as transcribed at a later date]

We have heard glorious news today.   Our drooping hopes are soaring high.  Johnston, after a masterful retreat to Williamsburg, Drawing McClellan after him, whipped the latter back to his gun boats.  Corinth was the scene of another grand victory.  General Lovel[?] entered New Orleans by a back track and took  Picayune Butler and 15,000 of his troops prisoner, and last but not the least to our little Commonwealth, Banks is in full retreat to Winchester.

MSS 9759

Camp Near Chickahominy
May 8th 1862
My Dear Creek
I take the first oppertunity[sic]
of letting you know that I have come
through another hard fought Battle
all safe it was fought at Williamsburg
on the 5th. I cannot give you any
particulars of the fight at present as
I have not time, and my eyes are
almost closing for want of sleep now,
having marched all night and cannot
say that I have known what sleep is for
4 days and nights, we gave the yanke[e]s
a good thrashing, but could not stay
to reap all of the benifits[sic] that might
have been derived from the victory for
reasons which I will explain at some
other time, I need not tell you who

[page 2]
was killed and wounded as major
Whitner has a list of them with him
and will let you all know.  William
is also safe and well having fought
all through the Battle, it was not
a Big Battle, but probably the
Bloodiest one for the numbers
engaged that has yet been fought, our
men fought like men determined
to conquer or die.
Give my love to all Kiss little Maggie
for me, and believe me ever your
affectionate
Husband William
I will write you as soon as we
arrive at Richmond or some other
place where I have a chance

William Anderson of the Palmetto Sharpshooters was elected major of the 4th S.C. Infantry on April 16, 1862


MSS 10366