In Field near Petersburg Va June 25^th

 

Dear Brother

                        I will now write a line or two that you may know what we are up to at the present time. I received your letter writen the 12^th yesterday the first mail that has reached us for a long time. I could not understand it The No Plympton was writen on it in SAs hand writing but no date on the stamp by another person June 20^th. I was glad to get a letter from home but very sorry it contained so much sad news. I did not before know that Livie was unwell It is a hard thing for her to be taken away from the friends that loved her, but we must look on the bright side and console ourselves with the thought that she is in a better & happier home in Heaven, with him who saith suffer little children to come unto me &c it must be hard / for Winslow & Harriet and the children will miss her very much. so shall I if I should ever return, the last words she ever said to me was Good Bye Uncle Samuel I feel very sorry for Uncle Lemuel when you see him give him my regards, and tell him I wish him a speedy recovery. Now I will drop home matters and let you see how affairs are near Petersburg. No great battle has been fought since I last wrote but several spirited attacks on both sides the last one came off yesterday morning about 7 I think. The rebels attack Baldy Smith they charged his works he let them come up near his works without firing on them then opened sixty pieces of artilery loaded with Grape and canister on them that he had masked from sight and you can judge the result Not a man of the attacking party again got back to the rebel lines the ground / was strewn with the dead and wounded and 800 prisoners were captured our forces then charged and occupied the works left by the rebels which they now hold Smiths forces connect on our right. A continual roar of musketry and cannonading is kept up an occasional Minnie goes Zip past me as I am writing our skirmish line and theirs are is about one hundred yards apart and their works about 400 yds in our front We are about one mile from the City which can be destroyed at any moment as Grant chooses our lines are slowly but surely twineing about them most patiently it is a large undertaking this may truly be said to be the battle of Richmond they risk all on Petersburg [?] Richmond is of no importance as their supplies are cut off. All have the utmost confidence in Grant the army is in good spirits but this is a very tiresome campaign as we / have to lie in rifle pits all the time constantly on the alert cannot take off equipments but we steal an occasional nap amid the booming of cannon I guess your sleep would be small here not being used to the racket.

 

This is my last sheet of paper I should not have been lucky enough to have this but for a soldier selling it to me I would like a few stamps if anyone will send them I will see them paid. I put the last one on this envelope cannot be got here By the way I have recovered from my ill spell and feel like myself once more The Dr takes good care of me seeing I am acquainted with his sister he is a fine man I wrote to Miss King the other day.

 

I saw quite a long extract from one of my letters in the Boston Journal I think I wrote the letter to Capt Doten but I am not sure. We are having very hot weather. the 4^th of July will soon be here Ill bet we shall (that is the army under Grant) celebrate it by a Great Battle as we did the 17^th of June when our regt lost heavily. More paper.

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