[transcript by the Valley of the Shadow project]

William H. Kindig, 107th Pennsylvania

MSS 11395

July 27th 1862

Mr Bradley
Your letter
of the 20th inst is received
and a poor miserable scamp
cant find any thing else
to do this pleasant sunday
evening only to sit down
and scratch first on the
this paper and then where-
ever a louse happens to
bite or a mosquito sits about
three seconds. We are all
well and sound on the goose
as far as the cripples from
spencer are concerned
I received a letter from
Charley yesterday and I
think by the way he writes
he will not be allowed

[page 2]
come back right away
by the doctor   We are sitting
here on the banks of the river
doing what duty we have
to do and reading such
papers as the Herald tribune
times and philadelphia
enquirer to find out what
is being done at home
We know about as much after
we read them all as I
about what is going on as an
inmate of the Lunnatic
assylum at utica each tells
a different story and each
one of them of course are right
and the rest are wrong.
Sometimes I see things in
the papers that are utterly
false no more truth in
them than there will be
in us soldiers if we have

[page 3]
to stay here until help
comes to us and have to
read the lies that are daily
published about what we
have done and are a doing
If the government will
send back the men that
it has let go home on the very
word I am sick without any
furlough and are now laying
around home perfectly well
and let Gen Pope go on as
he has started we will be
in richmond soon You
seem to think that Mc Celd-
lan has done wrong perhaps
he has and perhaps he is
to blame for our present
position but I do not think
so.  On our march from west
point we were marched in
two days farther than we

[page 4]
we would have been in
three because word came
that McDowel was moving
from fredericksburg and we
must be there by the time
he was we got there but no
McDowell was there   We waited
every day expecting him
until after the fight at
hanover Court house  When
it was announced to us
that we had to depend upon
ourselves alone and that McDow
ell was still at fredericksburg
The next we heard from him
was he had most of Banks men
and that Jackson was after
him with a sharp stick
The next we hear is the roar
of Jackson’s guns on our right
and then we learn that this
army disappointed first by
mcdowell slowness and
reduced by sickness and

[page 5]
McClellan that he was at
Frredericksburg and could
not move; from that day we
took the defensive or ditch
digging policy The next day
after the battle of Hanover court
house word came from the
right that mcdowells skir-
mishers had reached our pickets
our tents were all struck and
and knapsacks packed and
put in charge of the quar-
termasters and we with 80
rounds of amunition; three
days rations ready to move.
Some troops went halfway
to Mechanicsville before the
truth was found out and
that no one of McDowells
army had been heard from
in that direction we pitched

[page 6]
our tents again returned our
extra cartridges, and did
not make the assault on
the rebel capitol simply because
tMcdowell did not do what it was
expected he would do; he did
not try to go only jest as far as
the rebels had a few men
thrown out for to watch him
and see when he was coming
on; you know how he got Banks
whipped and if you had been
here you would know that by
his actions that  he in part
at least is to blame for our
defeat if he had done as it
was expected he would do when
the army was divided after
manassas was taken he would
have been whiped with us in
an assault upon richmond
or went into it side by side
with McClellan but I believe

[page 7]
that we would have been
whiped in that assault
and so does most every man
that knows how the city is
defended then McClellan
would have been blamed for
not digging and beseiging
and doing nothing.  A great
deal is said about swamps
being taken for an attack
to be made from; if we ever
get richmond we will have
to get into swamps or at
least a portion of us unless
the rebels are fools and fall
back and give us a better
chance than they did
before and that I dont
think they will do
If the president sends a
successor we will do just as
much for him as for anyone
else but I hope he will not

[page 8]
be sent for when I look
at the situation that
we were in one year ago to
day or back to the fatal day
at bull run and at our situation
now I still have hopes in the
man  Where is the great eye sores
manassas Norfolk Yorktown
and the merrimac If the people
of the north demands the slaughter
of the army in an assault upon
the rebels works has the restora-
tion of confidence in McClellan
let them say so and there is
not rive thousand men in
this army but what will start
in one hour and either die on
the road or drive the rebels out
of their capitol if they will send us
that man to lead us or follow along
behind that thinks the thing can
be done  I like the confiscation
bill but there is one thing left out
there is no provision made for
furnishing a rope for every man
found fighting against us we
cant find a limb for each one
and if we cant we will put

[in left hand margin of page 8]
two or three on a limb We can put down the rebels or

[in top margin of page 8]
when ropes are used and not till then

[in top margin of page 5]
in my opinion a rope prepared
for every tenth man in the rebel army would imediately
would be a good investment by
the government
                                  A. P. Jones

[in left hand margin of page 4]
write and let us know how enlisting prospers and how drafting
will go down

[in top margin of page 4]
some
of the peaceable
coercion men’s
throats they are
building ovens in camp to bake bread
for us now
Draft some good dem-
ocrat and
send him
down and
we will give him
a piece
of govern
ment
bread
free of
charge

A.P. Jones appears to be a friend of Charles Ellery Bradley of the 32nd N.Y. as this letter was  found among a group of letters sent to Bradley’s father Lyman Bradley, of Spencer, Tioga County, N.Y.


MSS 9728

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

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

Sunday, July 27, 1862

After Guard Mounting
helped fix a wagon
in which we went
out into the country
went to Jumping
branch Went beyond
to where Mrs Caldwell
stopped played some
Came back to Fort Upton
had nice time
Col Hays adjt & other
officers there
Parade as usual (&
short drill)
Clear warm
Had talk with Benton
this evening.

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Ephraim Wood of the 13th Massachusetts]

         Sunday   July 27/62

   Pleasant but very warm
There was not much doing
this forenoon.  In afternoon
we unload, and pack away
teams which brought hard bread from
the Depot.  In the afternoon
there was very little Private
Seabray  Healy & Kendall came
here, from the Hospittal at
Alexandria.  The stoped at
my quarters over night
The order that white brought was not
for us)

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12021

Camp Near Harrisons Landing Va July 27th 1862

My Dear Father–Before me are yours of the 11th, 17th & 18th July & I have
A little time to spare will try & answer them.  I should have answered them
before this, but we have been at work about all the time since we arrived
at this place, you dont know with what pleasure I receive your letters & those
from my Wife & Friends I may appear unreasonable, but I expect A letter
every day & if I do not receive one, I think something is the matter, Yesterday I
eight letters to answer & how to find time to answer them all was A puzzle
as we have little time to ourselves, you no doubt read in the papers that
the Army of the Potomac is resting, I don’t see it, by the way this expression
by one of our men used, and lost one months pay it was in this way when
asked by the Sergeant to go & do some work he remarked, I dont see it, for that
he was Court marshaled & sentenced to forefiet one moths pay, now while
I am I might as well say A few words in regard to the treatment which we
Privates receive in the army, in the first place, then, A Private had got to
receive a great many insults without the priviledge of resenting them if an
Officer says anything to you which you think is insulting to you you must take
it or if you should presume to make A reply or saying anything in your defence
ten chances to one, you would go to the guard house, & perhaps stay two or three
weeks.  Court marshaled & be sentenced to forfeit pay or have A ball & chain to
your leg, now mind I am writing facts, everything I state I can prove.  I know
of young men that belonged to this regiment that are ruined by the treatment
they received at the hands of Officers, when they joined this regiment they were
as fine young men as you would wish to see, but for some trifling offence, have
had their heads shaved & drummed out in the presence of large crowds of People
you will say we must have discipline in the army, examples must be made of
some one of those that do not conduct themselves in A propper manner, well
for the sake of argument, I will agree with you, but where one guilty one is pun[i]shed
ten innocent ones receive punishment you may have seen the statement of one of the
members of Congress from Pensylvania in regard to this matter, he says in the Pen
itentiary I saw citizens from my own place, men that were respected, dis
graced for no cause whatever these may not be Just the words but will answer
one little incident I will relate one of the Officers in company F is no Gentleman
one young man in the company had A muskett that had been rusty by constant
rains falling on said muskett, will this Man cleaned, day after day, would
this man work on his muskett but the stains would not come out the muskett
was clean but the stains could not be removed, now every night at this infraction
this Lieut would find fault & say the muskett was not cleaned & that the Private
did not attempt to do it well this went on for some two weeks the private could stand
it no longer was driven to make A reply, what was the result the Private was ordered
To report to the Lieut, sent after the Company was dismissed, he did so, stand
there says the Lieut & clean your muskett it is clean says the private, I tell you to
clean the muskett, I have been at work all the afternoon on the muskett, says
the Private & can prove it, are you agoing to clean that muskett, it is clean, for
this the Private was tied to A Tree, enough  for the present, in some future letter I will
give you some more of it, I will give you the dark side of the picture, you wish me to
give you A discription of what I have passed through from the 25th of June to the
fourth of July, it will be impossible as I said in my letter of the tenth, I described
the scene as well as I could, I can see it all before me as though it was but yesterday
yet cannot describe it, you say you dont agree with me in all points, I dont expect you
to, but mind you I dont take back what I have said, you did not see the immense
mound of property destroyed by fire, Amunition, Comisary stores, Quartermasters goods
Ordinance, waggons &c nor will you tell me what is the use of saying that McLellan
brot of everything, did not lose A waggon, why not tell the truth about this matter
we did not brig off everything waggons were lost & A large amount of Property destroyed
the articles of clothing alone, will amount to A verry large sum, not it is of not interest for me
to make statements that are not true. I am careful when I make A statement to find out
the particulars, now when I say we have been defeated, I mean just what I say, it is nothing more
or less than A defeat, s\our object was to take Richmond we were defeated in that Object, we have
got the same battles to fight over again, you say I am tired & cross, that we have not accom
plished all I think the Army ought to have accomplished I do think the Army have not
Accomplished what it ought. could & would have done, Gen McLellan had when he was
before Yorkown the largest best drilled, the best equipped army ever on this continent an army
bound for Richmond an Arm equal to the task before them, it is my honest belief that if this
Army had been under Genl Heintzelman Hooker or Kearney either would have been
in Richmond with less loss of life than this long delay as caused Genl McClellan
may be the best Gen. in the world, but who was at Williamsburgh that gained the day Genl
Heintzelman, who at Fair oaks Gen Heintzleman who at White Oak swamp Heintz[le]man and
Kearney, who at Malvern hill Heintzleman  was not Heintzleman in all these battles the
Hero, mark my word if Gen Heintzleman was appointed to the command of this Army his appointment
would be received with the wildest delight, you may think I am crazy when I talk in this strain, I am not
mistaken in the signs around me, I dont reccollect of Genl. McLellan being in any
engagement from the Battle of Gains Mills, to the battle of Malvern Hills I repeat
this Army should have been in Richmond, how long we shall remain in
this place I cannot give A guess, we are making ourselves as comfortable as we
can, what we want the most is A change of food something that has got a taste
to it, Fresh bread is wanted badly hoping this will find you in good
health I remain your Son
                                                        George W Leavitt

[Letters of George Leavitt of the 5th New York and his brother Joseph of the 5th Maine were copied into a ledger by their father John in the fall of a1865 as a remembrance of them.  Both boys wee mortally wounded in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania]

MSS 66

                           Camp Near Harrisons Landing Va
J                                         July 27th 1862

Dear Br. Charlie
                        I have been expecting to hear from
you for some time past but as nothing has yet ar-
rived & supposing that you want to hear from me
will address you a short letter. My health is fine
now and I enjoy myself very well and keep in the
shade as much as possible.  The weather is very
hot but occasionaly have cooling showers.  the health
of the troops is improving and the army of the Potomac
is in excellent spirits.  Oscar is well & is now performing
the duties of a corporal in his company, I think if
nothing happens he will stand a good chance for
promotion in course of time.  I rec’d a note from
Henry Thompson this morning stating that if I
would send on a recommendation he would
do what he could in the way of procuring a commission
What do you think about it?  can anything be
done? I can get a recommendation which I

[page 2]
think I will do on the morrow & forward to Thompson.
I suppose you are very busy just now during the haying
season and I would like to pay you a visit & snuff the
orders of the new made hay.  It has been a long  time since
I have seen haying carried on in eastern style, the hay in
Minnesota being principally made of wild grass, which
abounds in the meadows & marshy places.
Our (Summers) Corps had a review on Tues. last & made
a splendid appearance.  Out of the 124 regiments on the ground
besides several batteries, only two received special notice viz.
the 19th Mass regiment & the 1st Minn which were complimented
in an order issued by Gen. Sumner himself, for their fine
appearance & excellent discipline.  Our reg. is bound to shine
in any thing in which they take part.
I have heard nothing at all from home for nearly a
month and have about given up hearing again.  I rec’d
a couple of papers a couple of days since directed in your
hand writing for which I am much obliged.  I will en-
deavor to send you some as soon as there is anything
of interest in such as we get.  Please give my love to all
inquiring friends and I will ever subscribe myself
                             Your aff. Brother
                                                               A.S. Davis

Alfred Seymour Davis,  1st Minnesota

MSS 11338
       

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Sunday, July 27, 1862
It makes me feel sad to have to
[?] of the day

As we were obliged to start early in the
morning, I had to pack to day, & it kept
me busy all day, nursing & packing.
I told Nancy yesterday to send Mary Jane
down early in the morning & thought she
seemed unwilling to do it was not really  impudent
only looked very angry–afterwards I concluded
it would be well to carry Louisa as I
would have no one to wash for me–when I
asked her, (there is no ordering these days,) she
positively refused said she didn’t want
to go over there-of course there was no
makeing[sic] her I had to give it up. In would
rather not see a servant than to have
them lording it over us this manner.

[partial transcript, 1972, by her granddaughter Anne Madison Wright Baylor]

MSS 15406

[from the diary of Eliza Oswald Hill, refugee from Wilmington, N.C.]

Sunday 27th  We all went to Church–The morning was beautiful
Rather cool for some of the ladies–It rained very hard last night-
which cooled the air–Little William is quite unwell this afternoon
has been throwing up–& looks badly–I received two letters this fore
-noon–One from Richd. & the other from Tom, both well–Bella
also wrote to Jessie

MSS 6960

[from the diary of William M. Blackford, bank officer and former diplomat with five sons in the Confederate army]

Sunday 27  I recd yesterday letter from Ro
Saunders asking me to attend at
the Boat & receive  and entertain un
til he could send for her a Miss Fair
fax–started at  qr past  5 with Mary
for the Island Depot–she not being
able to spend a day with us, I got
out at the Doctors & consigned her
to the care of Ben–went to the lan-
ding and found the Boat would not
arrive until qr past 7 – returned
to the Doctors and took a nap and
returned to the landing–saw miss
Fairfax in neither boat. Enquired
at the [?] house found she had
come up Friday & gone to the Springs
Saturday.  Robert is the most head
over heels fellow in the world
church at qr past 10–good sermon
slept after dinner–walked with
Ben–Letter from  [?] who is
still in Richd–his brother likely
to die of his wounds & he has not yet
able to get a furlough to go home
Church in the morning–Mr William
son able to attend–find he is a member
of the Episcopal Church, though his father
is a Catholic. He was taken when
14 to Europe for his education and re-
sided there 9 years-part of the time
as an unpaid attaché of the Ame-
rican minister at Madrid–Gen
Dodge–He speaks German & French
& Spanish quite fluently.  I am very
much pleased with him–and yet
this man has been serving without
a  murmur, with many others of
his class, as a private soldier.
Church at night.  Dr. Minor came
in and thought Mr.W. not well
enough to travel

MSS 4763