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Regiment: 1st U.S. Volunteers Sharpshooters
Battles Mentioned:
Historical Figures: George A. McCall
Mechanicsville Va.
June 25th 1862
My Mary.
You will see by the date
we have been again on the move. Last
Saturday we came back to this place there
being SharpShooters enough at Fair Oaks.
Gen McCall is in command here
some of these old Ser’gt guns we had
at Yorktown are here and before long
will be in position to level Richmond
or as some call it “the Doomed City”
with the ground. If reports are true
many these are nearly slowing. A
day or two since some of our Pickets
one the Bridge that separates us from
the Rebs. overheard some of the enemys
Pickets quarrelling about playing pokes
one of them wanted to put up since Con-
federate money. the other told him he
would not play for that, for it would
not be good for any thing in two weeks.
Yesterday all the afternoon there was
heavy firing away to the left and before
night it came up nearly opposite us.
what it was no one knows. within
five minutes it has commenced agan
I would like to know “whats the matter.”
I got a letter from you Sunday and
another yesterday. that
[ ? ] I did not
keep over night it is nearly as good as gold.
the twenty eight last night will serve of it
be good. probably all but the ten.
You did not write what it [ ? ]but
when I get rid of it I will send you
some thing for it. many thanks. we
got news a few days since that one of
our boys from Kent Co Hugh Cox from
Alpine was dead he left the co sick at
Cumberland or Indian Point Landing
May 15
th we did not hear from him.
until we heard he had got home and was
not expected to live the next day we
heard he was dead. he died the 12
th Jun
no one that ever knew him could say
aught against him. no man in the
[ ? ] disliked him and that is saying
mine than can be said by many
he was one of my chums from the dusk.
I am glad he had a friendly hand
to soothe his last hours. Peace to his memory
I too hope ten months more
will not all sound ere we meet again
but who can tell the South is desperate,
and is not yet whipped.
Yours Ever
Love and a kiss Gardner
[On Envelope:]
Miss Mary J. Baxter
Grand Rapids
(Box 450) Michigan
