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Camp Winfield Scott May 4th 1862
Dear Mother
It is once more Sunday morning and a beautiful one too Yorktown is ours and
occupied by our troops we have just got the news and are all packed up for
a start. The bands are playing in every direction for the first time since
we have been here I have been on guard all night and do not feel much like
marching this morning but I think I can keep up if they don't go to fast.
The rebels kept up a heavy firing nearly all night to make their retreat
good. Six o'clock PM I got so much excited this morning that I had to stop
writing you can not immagine how great the excitement was here this morning
and finally there has been a great deal all day. We first heard that
General Lee had been taken with nine thousand prisoners and by the time we
had got that fairly down we heard that Genl Smith had taken 1500 more
rebels over on our left. Then our pickets begin to come in and tell about
what they saw at Yorktown. Lieut Chace was out with the pickets and brought
in a large rebel flag which the boys are now draging in the dust behind the
Stars and Stripes. The rebels before leaving had filled the ground with
torpedoes which would have blown up thousands of our men if they had not
been told of it by one of their men that staid behind. We have been
expecting to march all day but have not got off yet cant tell when we shall
have to go. Our Sharps rifles are here and we shall get them tomorrow They
are the best gun I ever saw. There is so much going on that I cant write
any more now. Please let me hear from you a little oftener than you have of
late.
Your aff Son
CJH
I will write again soon and write a longer letter
CJH
Historical Notes
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