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In Front of Yorktown April 8th 1862
Dear Mother
I received your letter dated the 30th also one from Libbie the same date
last night. It did me a great deal of good to get them for I had given up
all hopes of getting any letters for sometime to come. We are lying about a
mile and a half from Yorktown but do not go into town verry often. We
started from camp at Hampton last Friday and marched about four miles this
side of Big Bethel where we found the first battery. The Sharp Shooters
were deployed as skirmishers and marched for the fort to draw the fire of
their guns. They fired two shots at us and then our batteries opened on
them and they left about as quick as possible, they were very strongly
fortified then but did not have guns enough to support them against a heavy
force the only booty there was a few blankets and two prison boys about 17
years old Genl Porter has one of them for a guide. We camped six miles from
Yorktown that night at Cockeltown where we found Sutters Stores six casks
of Syrup and fifteen bushels of Peanuts. That was all dealt out to the
soldiers that night we had quite a jolly time over it. The Sharp Shooters
were started in the morning in the advance of the whole army as scouts and
skirmishers, which is not much fun as you do not know what you are going to
run into. The first introduction we had was a canon ball whistling over our
heads from a fort about a mile from us that we had not heard of. The next
was a shell bursting within ten rods of me but did not hurt any one, our
Artillery then came up and engaged with them and we went on under cover of
our guns we crawled up within 80 rods of their guns and got behind a rail
fence and began to fire on them picking off the gunners very fast we
succeeded in stoping their fire after about an hours firing. I would not go
through the same thing again for the world unless I was obliged to. We were
placed right between our cannon and the fort so that they both fired
exactly over our heads, and those shells make the most horrible noise that
I ever heard. I would have given a good deal if I had been at home about
that time The Rebels had their Sharp Shooters just the same as ours only
they were firing at us and did not trouble our gunners any I got quite used
to the whistle of a rifle ball and did not care much about them after I had
heard them a while, but I never can get used to the whistle of a shell and
hope that I shall not have to take the same position that I had Saturday
while I am in the service. The position that we held all day has made lions
of the Sharp Shooters but I had rather not be a lion than go through with
it again I had quite a compliment paid me yesterday by the Colonel General
Porter sent to him for ten of his best shots to go with him on a scouting
expedition and the Colonel chose me as one of the ten to go. Professor Lowe
is here with his balloon and has been up several times so we have shows
here without paying a quarter for it The Rebels are verry strong here and
there will be a terrible battle before we ever get possesion of Yorktown
but I think the most of it will be done with artillery for it would be
impossible to get them out with the bayonett. They have got 80 or 100 guns
within a circle of about three miles and could shell us out of camp now if
they wished to but I guess they have not any more ammunition then they want
for they will have a hot time in a few days and they are aware of it. They
knew of our coming as soon as we started from Washington one of our boys
found a letter here telling the names of the Regiments that had started and
ours among the rest. We have been camped by the side of the 14th Regiment
ever since we came to Fort Monroe and I see all of the New Berlin boys
every day. Charley Beardslee sends his love to you and hopes to get back so
that he can see you again. The boys in his company say that there is not a
better soldier in the Regiment then he is. Remember me to all and write as
often as you can but you must not expect to hear from me very often. Your
aff son
C J H
Historical Notes
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