Cheeesemans Landing Near Yorktown Virginia

April 14^th 1862

 

            Dear Wife                                                                              

                                    Since writing my last we have moved 4 miles further up towards the enemys lines we are now encamped about 2 miles from the Rebel fortifications which are considered to be very formidable having over five hundred cannon mounted on them myself Jim Nugent and Sprague went over to see the sixth Regiment yesterday they are encamped about 3 miles from where we are for miles all around us the ground is covered with our troops it is a sight worth looking at I can assure you. we saw Jim Cuman Dick Mason Curly MacIntire and a number of other fellows that we knew you can better immagin how glad we were to see them and they us than I can explain to you in words it seemed some like going home and meeting our friends there they all look well and rugged I saw a good many friends in Folletts Battery [?] martins that I knew among them was John Carey who you will remember by going a few years back also Charles Stoddard who used to work with me at Newell's he is a Sergeant on one of the pieces and / in a late skirmish with the enemy had seven of his the men on his gun disabled from a cross fire from a Rebel masked Battery killing two of them and wounding 5 the two killed was named Lord and Lewis. I knew Lord well a piece of shell hit him on the temple and blew his brains out. while we were over there to see the 22^nd we saw Genl M^cClellan and Staff they rode past us. he is a very plain looking man but his countenance indicates all that is expected of him we all have great confidence in him and when he thinks he is prepared to make the final attack on Yorktown we are ready to sail in and put an end to this infernal war. It is supposed that the Battle of yorktown will put an end to it. M^cClellan is having a large number of mortars and large siege pieces mounted here in our entrenchments it will take probably a week or ten days before he will be ready commence opperations on a the Rebels, when if the Rebels dont leave there will be a quarter of a million troops engaged on both sides, the Rebels having one hundred thousand in and about York Town. There is firing going on between the Rebel Pickets / and ours all the time. The 22^nd encamped on Genl MacGruders Place and his house is used for a Hospital there is on his grounds perhaps 20,000 of our troops you can see by the papers that MacGruder is in command of the Rebel Forces at Yorktown. I understand Jeff Davis is there with him. you can write as usual and direct your letters the same. we will have mail more regular after this. we have not been paid off yet and its not known when we will be. there is a report here that the Massachusetts Legislature voted to pay one half the bounty money of all the troops that the government will discharge before the tenth of June they mean Massachusetts troops of course I was told it was in some of the Boston papers. I wish you would ask Mr. Lamb to enquire if such is the case and let me know in your next Capt Stone has written to Mr. Huston to have him deliver my camp drawing to Mr. Aull I dont think it would be advisable to have Mr. Aull do a great many of them at present and if we are not going to be paid off out here it would be as well not to do them untill we come home. I wish you would ask Mr. Aull if he has received the picture from Mr. / Huston to write me a few lines and let me know his opinion of the subject. I think on the whole it would be as well not to get any up untill we are paid off. when I will let him know. this will be the surest way and prevent him from going to any unnessary expence.

 

Dear Kate I hope these lines will find you all in good health as this leaves me in at present, and considering the many liabilities and exposures I have been subject too I feel very thankfull for the same my only hope now is that I will come out of the Battle that is about to come off safe. my next will be to get home that I may see you all as I used to find you enjoying good health my friends the same give my respects to Mrs. Nugent Mr & Mrs. Lamb, Mr Flood, Andrew and Family. my Love and Kisses to Billy, Fanny Katz and yourself—

 

                                                                                    Your Affec^t Husband

                                                                                                William S. Henry

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