Camp of the Fifth Maine Regiment Near the Rapahanock River  Va Jan 8/63

Dear Mother—As I have written most of the letters to Father I thought
I would set down & pen you A few lines to let you Know that I am well & hope
these few lines will find you he same last night the Colonel had the Regiment
formed & came out & Told the Men that he had sent in his resignation on account
of business at Home calling him there & he made quite A speech Thanking
the Regiment for their good conduct whilst he had the command of it & prayed
that they would continue to Keep the good name that they had received from
the Genls of the Brigade & Division & that they would do well under the one
that took his place & wanted the men to come to his tent before he went as he
wanted to take each and every one by the hand Colonel Scammon was A man
that looked after the welfare of the Regiment but he was not much of A Military
man, but I can assure you that the Regiment is sorry to have him go, I will now
close these few lines by saying that they will find you in good health give my
love to Father & all that enquire about me & just remember that I shall
continue to that duty that I enlisted for n o matter who is in command
of the Army & if nothing happens before the term of service expires I
can come home with the proud thought that I done my duty
From you affectionate Son Joseph Leavitt
P.S. Tell Unkle Shaw that I have not Seen Daniel but I suppose the Reason is
that he is out most of the time conoitering as the first is considered one of the best
in the service & I guess that is the way in all of the Maine Regiments. Mr Joseph
Leavitt Co. G., Fifth Maine Vols General Bartletts Brigade Washington D.C.

Letters of Joseph Leavitt of the 5th Maine and his brother George of the 5th New York were copied in a ledger by their father in the fall of 1865 as a remembrance of his boys both of whom died in the war, George at 2nd Bull Run and Joseph at Spotsylvania

MSS 66

               King Gorge Ct House
                               Theresday Jan 8
Dear Brother              I received / 63
youres Dated dec 16 & was truley
Hapy to hear from you & Caroline
& Ida I was very sorey I can tell you
for I had reconed on Spending
New Yeares with you I would have
Answerd youer letter soner if could
ouer regt has ben on pickett ever
Since I receive youer letter & I could
not gett ink nor paper I left my
riting paper in camp for I did not
expect that we Should be on So long
I had rather be on pickett than in
Camp for we have a chance to live
before I have first rate times the young
ladis here are very socible but are thoug sesess
thare is hardley a house but containes
Some of the fair Sect Im all out to
pass some lesure oures then I feal

[page 2]
more at  home here than eney place
that I have ben in I tell you it is
hard for me to thinke that I have to
fight against those that are forced
to fight as meney are from thiss section
when I hear sisteres talking about thare
brotheres I canot but help [f]ealing for them
altho they difer with me for meney of them
have been tought so from thare infancy
to regard ours as transgessores I canot blame
them thare is a good meney from famleyes
here that are sufring for the necesites of
life I for one have bought flower & meal
and taken to those that I thought stood
In need of such & meney a blessing
have I recived I thank good that none
of my frindes are sufring for food
I dont know wat there poor would
do here if it was not for ous I made
the aquttane of one poor lady that has
fivee small children that I made happy
New yeares for them

[page 3]
the wether is first rate for the time
of year thate is not much doing
here I have not herd from Dick
In a long time my health is first
rat & I hope thiss will finde you all the
same p[l]ease excuse haste my best respectes
to all                         Youres Truley afeconate
pease answer son                             Brother
                                                       A. F. Cowles
                                            To W. L. Cowles
P S direct the
same

[possibly Adin F. Cowles of the 8th Illinois Cavalry, Co. B.]

MSS 10801

[from the diary of Sgt. Robert Larimer, Co. C., 62nd Ohio Volunteers]

Thursday 8
Loaded the wagons with commissaries
&c and came to reg. 4 miles west of
Newbern.  Recd. a letter from Alice A.
La[?]  Reg camped in a pine grove
pitched tents &c

MSS 38-129

[from the diary of the Rev. Francis E. Butler, chaplain of the 25th New Jersey]

Thurs 8.  looks like snow.  Col unwell – & Q.M. quite sick –
Chester at Aquia Creek for supplies – [?] cook –
Had rather unusually good time readg. talkg. & prayer in hosp.
Made discharge papers –

possibly a reference of James Chester, Co. I, 25th New Jersey

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 12935

[from the diary of Captain William F. Hunter, Co. B., 97th Ohio]

   Jan. 8th, ‘63
     Remained in
camp to-day. Our tents
arrived about noon;
the first we have seen
of them since leaving
Nashville. Plenty of
crackers to-day.

[transcript by Mary Roy Dawson Edwards]

MSS 10547-bm

[from the diary of George W. Dabney, clerk of Campbell County]

8″ Thursday
Clear & cold.
making cattle shelters
& plowing & shrubbing
        sore leg, laid up

MSS 3315

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

Thursday, January 8th – Spent today at New Market with sister Mary and Cousin Jane, besides the family.  It seems so strange to see that circle so small.  Oh how many have been scattered by the bridal and tomb since my childhood days.  No news of the outer world today.

MSS 9759

[from the diary of Mary S. Boyden, daughter of the Rev. Ebenezer Boyden, Rector of Walker’s Church, Cismont, Va.]

Saturday 8th, A sleety, dreadful day – But sent
the carriage for Ma – She came & Father had a
terrible headache – They had a delightful little
visit.  Hanson was looking & doing very well
-O that peace would come!  May God hasten
it in his own good time!

D. Hanson Boyden was serving with the Charlottesville Artillery (Carrington’s Company of the Virginia Light Artillery)

MSS 4288

Jan 7th  1863
Camp near Fredricksburg
Dear Nell
Your letter was
received this morning and having
as good an opportunity now as I
ever shall have I will answer
it immediately.  I wrote to
mother about a week ago since
when nothing of importance has
occurred.  Our New Years day was
spent as Christmas was, viz, on
picket duty in the dull town of
Fredericksburg.  Fredricksburg
may possibly in times of peace have
been a very pleasant place, but
at present it is one of the most
disagreeable places that I know
of All the stores are closed, very
few citizens are in the streets
and at every step you take
new marks of the destruction

[page 2]
wrought by Yankee cannon
and Yankee hands present
themselves.  I never saw a town
so completely sacked.  Subscrip-
tions have been taken up in the
army and in the country gen-
erally for the relief of the suffer-
ers.  The 21st has subscribed
nearly two thousand dollars
The troops generally I believe
have given pretty liberally and
I think enough will be obtained
to prevent all suffering though
not enough of course to compensate
for all the damage done to prop-
erty.  The Yankees still remain
on the other side of the river
apparently  in considerable force
Whether they will remain at-
tempt another crossing remains
to be seen.  I am rather inclined
to think that they will not
I think the campaign for this

[page 3]
winter is pretty well over
The year 1862 wound up
very gloriously for the Confederacy
althoug[h] Braggs victory in the
Tennessee was not as complete
as we at first supposed.  I
don’t believe the war can
possibly last more than twelve months
longer and it may terminate
much sooner.  I was very glad
to hear from sister.  I would
have written to her by one
of the flags of truce which came
over after the battle of Fred-
ricksburg but I did not know
where to address her.  I am
glad that she has left Min-
nesota.  You don’t say any-
thing about Sam in your
letter.  How is he getting and
when will he return?  Tell
him that we all talk a great
deal about him and wish

[page 4]
(for our own sakes) that he
was with us: but hope he
will not think of coming back
until he is perfectly recovered
I am sorry to hear that
Cousin John Buhler is in
such bad health and hope
he may succeed in getting his
discharge.  Give much love
to Mother & Nette and to
the Postlewhaites when
you see them.  Remember
me also to the servants
         Your affectionate brother
             Horatio N Smith

Horatio N. Smith, Co. D, 21st Mississippi

MSS 3772

[from the diary of Jesse Calvin Spaulding, Co. F., 25th Massachusetts]

Wednesday
Jan 7
Have been at work on the descriptive
book, and also received and delivered
the clothing to the men.  Pretty cold weather.

MSS 11293