May 7th, 1862

Camp Winfield Scott

May 7. 1862

Dear Mother, when I last wrote to you on Sunday, we were under marching orders and expected to be off before this, but we have been held back as a reserve, but expect to go up the river today.

There has been a battle in front. Our troops came up with the retreating army. We heard the cannonading all of Monday. We don’t know any thing about the fight more than

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McClellan is victorious.  We don’t get the news here as soon as you do, only just what we see ourselves. We see by the paper that the people up north are down upon McClellan because he didn’t have 1000 or so of us killed at Yorktown, and drove the enemy out of their strong hold with the shovel & pick. Perhaps the brave people at home don’t know that a soldiers life is as sweet to him as theirs is to them. And that soldiers love a General that loves & tries not to lose them.

If I ever get home and / any person says any thing against Gen. / McClellan I’ll whip them if I can.

I am well. The company / are pretty well. If we move today I may not have a chance to write soon again. Love to all my friends. Send this to Mag. I am not writing to her today.

Your Gus