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White House Va May 18 th 1862
Dear Mother
I received your verry Short letter dated the 11th yesterday I was glad to
get it as short as it was. I hope you will try and write longer ones in
future. I do not write from Richmond as I said in my last letter but expect
to write the next one from there. We are encamped now on Col Lee's farm 23
miles from Richmond, I thought I had seen handsome land before we got here
but this beats anything that I have seen yet. The whole army is encamped in
one open lot which is nearly on a dead level. The lot runs back from the
river and I should judge it contained nearly three hundred acres. I think
the man that would have such a farm as this to go into the rebel army must
be a very large sized fool. We left West Point last Tuesday our regiment
leading the division as usual we had no skirmishing to do as there was one
or two divissions ahead of us we passed over the battle ground at West
Point. The trees were pretty badly marked up by bullets and that was about
all there was to be seen. I saw some little trees about the size of my arm
that were nearly cut into by bullets. I suppose that the battle there and
the one at Williamsburgh are the worst battles that have been fought since
the war commenced. Officers in our regiment that were at Williamsburgh say
that our loss can not be less than three thousand in killed and wounded,
but I see that the papers do not get it as high as that for reasons best
known to the government. I see that I have got off from the track and shall
not get in to camp if I do not look out. We marched on all day without any
trouble except the heat and dust which was verry thick. The weather was
verry warm and a great many poor fellows had to fall out by the side of the
road. The water was verry poor and scarce and I never suffered so much in
my life as I did that day. We encamped that night at Cumberland Point. We
laid over there the next day in the rain Every boddy was wet and would have
been cross but they knew it would do no good. The whole army was reviewed
just at night by Genl McSecty Seward and a good many others. The rain was
pouring down in streams as they passed along. Such cheering as met them I
guess was never heard before Every man seemed to try to cheer louder than
the other and so it went all through the army. I think the General must
have a great deal of confidence in the men he has got here and I know they
all have confidence in him and think that they will come out safe as long
as they are led by him. Harrington was taken sick again last week and had
to be sent back again Probably he will be at home before long. I think he
ought to have staid there in the first place for he has not been healthy
since he has been in the army. It is now two weeks since I have heard the
shriek of a shell and I begin to think that I would like to hear them again
but I guess I shall be just as well off if I dont hear anymore at all. I
wish you would try and write a little oftner and little longer letters for
the farther I get from home the better I like to hear from you. If I do not
write from Richmond next time I shall think it very strange Thats all at
present.
Your aff Son
CJH
Historical Notes
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