Camp Fifth Maine, near Harrisons Landing Va July 29th 1862
Dear Father  Receiving yours of the twenty fourth Just after writing one & placing it in the Mail thought I would set down & answer it right away I am as well as ever which I hope will be the case all along & I can say that I was very glad to hear that my letter pleased you so as to answer it twice although I know that my talents are not great for writing I think myselfe as you say, that I have improved A great deal on my first letters any way  I have tryed  to write you as good letters as I could & think every one is an improvement on the others I suppose by the time you receive the one that I wrote yesterday you will think I had A Nigger fit I tell you it is enough to make any one have one to see how they are treated to what some of the Soldiers are I always stuck up for the Blacks, but if ever I was down upon them it is now things about the Regiment are progressing finely although we are detailed every day for something today there was A squad of Men twenty detailed to fell trees to lay up by the brestworks & they have Just come in having cut four hundred Lengths since seven oclock it now being twelve & to day our Pickets has been extended out A mile furthur  as far as I know there is not A Rebel withing ten miles of ours I think they got enough at Malvern hill on the fourth of July there is only one sick in the Hospital belonging to this Company & he is not dangerously sick our Camp is behind breastworks that stretches for seven miles around to the two ends of the river & in this Brestwork the whole Army of the Potomac that is so about the Massachusetts Battery firing five
tuns of shott & shells & the number of Pieces that belong to the battery is six four Parrots which are called the best guns in the Army & two  howitzers that are to fire grape shott when the enemy are close quarters I will now close by saying that I shall answer your questions bout the banner & that is I will like to have that every other one that you take but do no want you to get any that you do not take & Just remember what I wrote in yesterdays letter about George give my love to Mother & I hope your health & hers will continue good as it has all along From you
 Son Joseph Leavitt

[Letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York, were copied into a ledger in the fall of 1865 by their father John as a remembrance of them.  Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania.]

Camp Fifth Maine, near Harrisons Landing Va July 29th 1862
Dear Father  Receiving yours of the twenty fourth Just after writing one & placing it in the Mail thought I would set down & answer it right away I am as well as ever which I hope will be the case all along & I can say that I was very glad to hear that my letter pleased you so as to answer it twice although I know that my talents are not great for writing I think myselfe as you say, that I have improved A great deal on my first letters any way  I have tryed  to write you as good letters as I could & think every one is an improvement on the others I suppose by the time you receive the one that I wrote yesterday you will think I had A Nigger fit I tell you it is enough to make any one have one to see how they are treated to what some of the Soldiers are I always stuck up for the Blacks, but if ever I was down upon them it is now things about the Regiment are progressing finely although we are detailed every day for something today there was A squad of Men twenty detailed to fell trees to lay up by the brestworks & they have Just come in having cut four hundred Lengths since seven oclock it now being twelve & to day our Pickets has been extended out A mile furthur  as far as I know there is not A Rebel withing ten miles of ours I think they got enough at Malvern hill on the fourth of July there is only one sick in the Hospital belonging to this Company & he is not dangerously sick our Camp is behind breastworks that stretches for seven miles around to the two ends of the river & in this Brestwork the whole Army of the Potomac that is so about the Massachusetts Battery firing five
tuns of shott & shells & the number of Pieces that belong to the battery is six four Parrots which are called the best guns in the Army & two  howitzers that are to fire grape shott when the enemy are close quarters I will now close by saying that I shall answer your questions bout the banner & that is I will like to have that every other one that you take but do no want you to get any that you do not take & Just remember what I wrote in yesterdays letter about George give my love to Mother & I hope your health & hers will continue good as it has all along From you
 Son Joseph Leavitt

Camp Fifth Maine, near Harrisons Landing Va July 29th 1862
Dear Father  Receiving yours of the twenty fourth Just after writing one & placing it in the Mail thought I would set down & answer it right away I am as well as ever which I hope will be the case all along & I can say that I was very glad to hear that my letter pleased you so as to answer it twice although I know that my talents are not great for writing I think myselfe as you say, that I have improved A great deal on my first letters any way  I have tryed  to write you as good letters as I could & think every one is an improvement on the others I suppose by the time you receive the one that I wrote yesterday you will think I had A Nigger fit I tell you it is enough to make any one have one to see how they are treated to what some of the Soldiers are I always stuck up for the Blacks, but if ever I was down upon them it is now things about the Regiment are progressing finely although we are detailed every day for something today there was A squad of Men twenty detailed to fell trees to lay up by the brestworks & they have Just come in having cut four hundred Lengths since seven oclock it now being twelve & to day our Pickets has been extended out A mile furthur  as far as I know there is not A Rebel withing ten miles of ours I think they got enough at Malvern hill on the fourth of July there is only one sick in the Hospital belonging to this Company & he is not dangerously sick our Camp is behind breastworks that stretches for seven miles around to the two ends of the river & in this Brestwork the whole Army of the Potomac that is so about the Massachusetts Battery firing five
tuns of shott & shells & the number of Pieces that belong to the battery is six four Parrots which are called the best guns in the Army & two  howitzers that are to fire grape shott when the enemy are close quarters I will now close by saying that I shall answer your questions bout the banner & that is I will like to have that every other one that you take but do no want you to get any that you do not take & Just remember what I wrote in yesterdays letter about George give my love to Mother & I hope your health & hers will continue good as it has all along From you
 Son Joseph Leavitt

[Letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine, and George Leavitt of the 5th New York, were copied into a ledger by their father John in the fall of 1865 as a remembrance of them.  Both boys were mortally wounded in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania]

MSS 66

[from the war journal of George Hazen Dana of the 32nd Massachusetts as compiled by him at a later date from diaries and letters]

 Harrison’s Landing
                                                       July 29th 1862
I have been full of importance and business, the past
week, as, my Captain and First Lieut. having been laid
on the shelf, I have been in command of the company.
Now, however, the Captain’s resignation having been re-
fused, he has suddenly recovered and taken charge
again.          ‘Tis more than probable that the next
you hear from me will be after a battle, as orders
read, last night looked as though some arrangement
of the kind were close at hand.          Officers “to in-
stuct their men to discard all clothing but what
was absolutely necessary, to take but small rations
in their haversacks, as we were to continue near
our base of supplies – no more clothing or knap-
sacks to be issued, etc.”          This order, coupled with
a visit from Genls. Halleck and Burnside, makes
                                                                                       
          an immediate forward movement (keeping the James
River, “our base of supplies,” on our flank), more than
probable.
McClellan had a grand review of the whole army three
days since.               Capt. – , (I could plainly see) wanted
to take charge of our company – so did I, and I told
him that it would not do for him to get well so
quickly, after such severe illness, merely for the sake
of going out on parade.          So I had charge.
Our regiment did march splendidly as it passed Mac,
and was the recipient of a compliment to that effect
from him.          My company was not behind the others,
I was told – of course I could not see, as I had to keep
head square to the front.-          I presume every man
felt and stepped proudly as he passed.          All did
with whom I compared notes, and as for myself, I
feel sure, that had I been blessed with a peacock’s
nether appendages, they would certainly have spread
themselves to their fullest extent –           McClellan
looked tough, hearty, and handsome –
But I must rein in pretty soon, the flies bite my
hands so.          You never saw such flies; such swarms
and such utter want of respect toward the ‘lords of
creation’.          And such impudence as you see
continual cases of, is almost beyond belief.

I had rice and molasses for dinner today, and they
covered it, and would follow each spoonful into my
mouth.      –They taste like shrimps. –     . And they
have none of the fear of our Northern flies.          I saw
one on the side of my plate, rather larger that the
rest, and I put my fore fingers on him, and patted
on the back, when, to my surprise, instead of flying
away, he turned his head, looked at me with a
glance of mingled contempt and anger, then, with
a sort of grunt, resumed his meal –          I killed him.
                                                 (Next letter – without date.)
We (our regiment) have just been ordered to get ready
to move today, in fighting trim, with two days’ ra-
tions in our haversacks.          Shall probably see a
little service before we return.          The general im-
pression is that we are going across the James
River, where the rebels are in small force, perhaps
to take Petersburg and cut off the railway there, by
which Richmond receives heavy supplies.          But
nothing is known; we are all mere tools in Mac’s
hand – God grant that we may prove sharp ones,
and cut deep wherever we may be used.
Capt. _  has been quite lively for two or three days
past, but as soon as we received our orders to move,
he went at once to the Doctor, resuming his funeral
     gait, and said he would not go.          He then came
to me and said – I am very sick this morning, and
will not risk my life – Col. Cass was troubled in
the same way as myself, and he went into the
field and died from it.        “Yes,” said your “Uncle,
“and a ball in the head, which I don’t think will
ever trouble you.”     So I am in command of my
company.          The Major called me just now, and
told me that it was a position of great responsibility
for one so young in the service, but I reckon I’ll manage
it.          I only wish Colonel Parker were here.
There is heavy firing on our right this morning -.  I
think we are shelling Fort Darling.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 5130

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

Tuesday, July 29, 1862

Guard mounting
Practiced
Read some
Parade & drill
Charlie & I dug a small
cellar for our baths
Clear fine day. threatening
rain this afternoon
Did not receive any
letters last night as
I expected

MSS 10317

[from the diary of Ephraim Wood of the 13th Massachusetts, Co. C.

          Tuesday   July 29/62

   Went to the Depot this
morning but found very
little to do.  So came back
to house and went to writing.
After dinner I went to depot,
and we found that we had
been relieved and were all rejoin
our Regt,  As there is a prospect
of a Fight, I am glad it is so.
Capt Smith said he was
sorry to have us leave,
we attended to our duty
so well

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12521

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

Mond Tuesday 29th  –We have all been together in my room this
morning talking–Since dinner all have retired to their rooms
it is very warm again today–William was quite sick in
the night but seems better to day–He is walking about &
so fretful–I received a letter from Fan Bradley to day–&
three papers–But no very startling news–Prisoners are to be
exchanged & Captain Johnston will have to go–“Pope”

MSS 6960

[from the diary of Dr. Brodie Strachan Herndon]

29  We  gather around dear Nannie
Gordon’s dying bed & witness the sweet
assurance of faith & love, and
receive her parting injunctions.
    Her countenance becomes radiant
when she speaks of her Saviour,
“Oh how I love my Saviour”
“Jesus I love they charming name”
“And I shall soon meet my
precious mother and she will
say “Nannie have you come
home”  These and many
other sweet expressions gave
much interest to her last day.

MSS 2563-b

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

Tuesday 29  Mr. Willimason left us this
morning–though not recovered enough
I think to travel.  Telegraph from
Wm saying part of Marys baggage
had not come to hand.  I am glad to
find he was in the city. Nothing of
any importance–not a telegram
of any kind.

MSS 4763

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

[from the diary of Anne Madison Willis Ambler]

Tuesday, July 29, 1862

A most miserable breakfast, but we still
managed to eat the snack, at least I did-
F[annie] & Jeannie eat some of their breakfast;
Mrs. T’s small carriage came for J. & she left us–the
large one had gone to Fauquier for her. the
day before–It came soon after I left
& as we were to take J’s baggage up I went
as far as Berryville with Jacquelin in order
to eat my dinner & rest there before Fannie
came in the evening with Tom & Daisy–
–Jacque behaved dreadfully at Mrs Taylers
he cried all the time we were at dinner &
wouldn’t let the servant hold him.  That is
only a taste with how I am to get along
without a servant of my own–“three
children & no nurse”-  I was glad when
the carriage came–We reached home by
seven–& most  delighted we all were
Pa was pleased at our coming as we
did & thought it most strange that father
would not let us make our own arrangements
about it–especially as he lost by it–as Pa
was to have sent two sacks of salt &
some oil–We told him of that & urged
our plan but he wouldn’t listed to it–
It was at least twelve o clock before we
were all in bed.  there was so much to hear
about.

[as partially transcribed in 1972 by her granddaughter Anne Madison Wright Baylor]

MSS 15406

1862 July 28

Dear Brother

Having a good opportunity of sending
a letter by Mr Kerr or Black I seat myself at this
time to write you a few lines  We are all quite
well at present and  hope you are also enjoying
the same blessing.  Mr Kerr starts this evening for camp
at the on account of the earnest request of his soon. I
suppose he intends to take some provisions along, but
we did not know of his going till this evening and
so we did not have time to prepare anything to
send you. if Grovy[?] would have been willing, even to take it
which I dont  know for it appears to me as if they always
act mighty sly about their going or sending anything. I have
not time to write now for I guess they will be along
shortly I have no news to communicate.  I hope you are
enjoying yourself hugely.  Pa has commenced cutting his grass this
evening.  The men over thirty five are getting home at least a
great many of them. Andy Lencus[?] has I believe got his discharge
I wrote last Friday and sent by mail to Gordonsville I wish you
would say if you please whether you got it or not. for people bring
their letters here without directing them to any place & I dislike the
responsibility of sending.  I have been sending to Gor–the last few mails
& if they are not received I guess I will hear of it.  Well the stage is
coming and I must close                                   Your affectionate sister
                                                                                               Mary

Mr Tom. M. Smiley
Com D 5th Reg Va Vol
                Gordonsville
                               Va.

Care of Mr Black

MSS 1867