Camp of the advance Guard of the Army on the Pamunkey river three miles from New Kent C.H.

 

May 11^th 1862

 

Dear Father                

I received your kind and affectionate letter last night and was glad to learn that you were enjoying good health. My health is tip top and I have been enjoying myself hugely since we left our camp on Warwick river. I will give you a short description of our march up to the present time. May 4^th we received a dispatch stating that Yorktown had been evacuated by the rebels and taken possession of by our troops. Soon after we received marching orders and marched from our camp on Warwick river to above the first line of the enemys fortifications arriving there about 12 o'ck at night and camped. During the night it commenced raining and in the morning we found ourselves pretty wet. May 5^th we took up line of march for Williamsburg. It continued raining during the day and it was very hard marching on account of / the mud making it almost impossible to get the artillery along. On getting near Williamsburg we heard the booming of cannon & sharp reports of musketry, and we knew there was work ahead. We arrived at the battle ground about 6 oclock and immediately loaded our muskets and drew up in line of battle. We were then ordered to lie down which position we were in for 15 minutes when we marched into the woods to within 300 yds of the largest fort the rebels had (It was named after Gen Magruder) Here we laid all night waiting for the rebels to come up to us. At our left about 300 or 400 yds our forces & the rebels were fighting desperately and the shot & shell cut the branches over our heads in a great style. We were not attacked during the night by the rebels, but the cold rain made us suffer dreadfully. May 6^th This morning we found that the rebels had evacuated their strong fortifications and fled in confusion, and our Cavalry was in hot pursuit. Today the sun shone once more and all were in good spirits again. After making a cup of coffee I went out on / to the battlefield of yesterday. Men were I did not see any of our men laying there, but there were many dead & wounded rebels and large numbers of dead horses lying on different parts of the field. About nine oclock we marched out near to Williamsburg and camped, where we remained untill the next morning. During the day I visited some of the forts which were very strong and had they been well defended could have kept us back a day or two. I saw a number of prisoners, they were very dirty and slovenly looking. May 7^th We again took up line of march being one of the regts which were to form the advance guard for the Army of the Potomac (The advance guard consists of the 5^th & 6^th Regular Cavalry 8^th Illinois Cavalry Battery L. 2^nd U.S. Artillery & 2^nd R.I. & 98 Penn Vol.) Commanded by Gen Stoneham & Col Wheaton of 2^nd R.I. Acting Brig^d Gen. Gov. Sprague accompanys us.)

 

We marched through Williamsburg which is a very pretty place or town and proceeded on the main road to Richmond. We had to march very slow, for the rebels had placed torpedoes & shell in the roads & paths. The road was lined with knapsacks, blankets &c besides / dead horses & dismounted cannon & caissons &c. After marching about 4 miles we came to a halt unslung our knapsacks, and went double quick through the woods about a mile when we came to a open field where we found our Cavalry & Artillery which is with us now. Our artillery had just scattered a large force of rebel Cavalry and we could see them riding off in great haste as we came in sight. We continued on about a mile where we camped for the night. The Artillery Cavalry went back and brought up our knapsacks. We were not allowed any fires this night nothing more of any particular interest occurred untill Friday the 9^th. We were marching continuously along and had halted to rest when we heard the sharp report of a cannon & musketry which we soon found out to be that our scouts had run in to a regt. of Rebel Cavalry with two pieces of Artillery.

 

Our Artillery immediately prepared for action and we were drawn into line of battle unslinging our knapsacks. We remained so for about 15 minutes, when the word forward was given, we marched through a dense wood of pines about a mile, coming to an open field with a small wood in front. A scout reported that the rebels were but a short distance ahead in an open field. The Artillery immediately prepared for action and the Cavalry were drawn up ready for a charge. We (2^nd RI) were deployed as skirmishers with the exception of Co. K & C who were held as a reserve.

 

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P.S. Harison is in the hospital sick. H [?]

 

You must not expect a letter very often, as we are on the march all the time

 

I have not had my equipments of for 5 minutes at a time for a week.

Harry

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