Williamsburgh V^a

May 8^th /62.

                       

Affectionate Mother

             In haste I embrace the earliest opportunity to inform you that I am well and do not want you to feel too anxious about me. I suppose you saw the letter which I wrote to Uncle on the 4^th ult. Well I had to quit it rather abruptly for just as I was writing the pickets brought word into camp that Yorktown was being evacuated so (Sabbath & all as it was) we packed up and gave chase as fast as we could and our advance guard met with the rear guard of the rebels in the afternoon and the infantry got up on monday morning but our brigade did not come up till evening. Oh! mother can it be possible that the war will last? I slept on the battle field among the dead & wounded and it rained all night. I saw [faded] but I must confess I dozed a little Oh! to hear the groans of the wounded and moaning of the wind through the trees it was a fearful sight to see and a fearful thing to hear I cannot give you any account of the battle for we only got up at dusk and lay in the pits all night prepared for action in the morning but during the night the rebels left the field and left their dead & wounded in our hands and I helped to bury the dead the next day but cant say how many we lost [faded] regt lost 200 or more

 

You will see the true statement in the papers. The cowardly rascals raised a flag of truce and when within rifle shot of us they sent a volley into us and then we let them have it. We took possession of Williamsburg on Sunday and our brigade was the first to enter the town. it is a very fine looking town of considerable size. Lots of spoils and munitions of war fell into our hands and also small arms & cannon almost any amount. I saw 90 rebels in one pile and the / woods was thick with dead & wounded of both sides. It is a dear bought victory nevertheless it is a glorious one. O! mother I never want to see such a sight as the battle field of Williamsburg again. As we came up to the field the lines of Campbell about the battle of Hohenlinden came into my mind and I thought of my peaceful home far far away

 

Don't let the tear fall as you read this as I do as I write for I think this kind of work will soon be over. This is a secesh sheet of paper and I'll try and get an envelope of the same kind to put it in.

 

This is thursday and I have not seen my overcoat knapsack or blanket since monday and have slept out every night since. It makes me think what the old scotch man said "[faded]" I do not know where we will see the rebels again but it will likely be at Richmond

 

Give my love to all inquiring friends and I'll write more some other time

                                                                       

Your Son J. D. Baker

 

P.S. I have just now got a letter from Lizzie and I am glad to hear that you are all well. She gives me hark for writing to Miss Thompson well it is useless for me to palliate or deny but she should not have shown it to everyone. Lizzie seems to think Eliza Brandon a fine girl and indeed in my opinion she is right. Eliza is a lady in every sense of the word.

                                                                       

Hoping you all are well I remain

your Son J D Baker

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