Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Brigadier-General John Sedgwick to his Sister, April 14, 1862

Camp Near Yorktown,
April 14, 1862.
My dear sister:

Your two letters have been received. I think I have made arrangements so that all your letters will come safely. We receive a mail every other day, which brings the New York papers of the preceding day.

We are patiently waiting for the siege-train to be put in position before anything can be done, and the roads are such that it is as much as can be done to bring up supplies. Two and three thousand men are daily at work conveying them, but the work is slow. Every one is impatient for a move, and none more so than the General himself, but I trust he will not venture anything till he is fully prepared. It seems that this must be their last stand, and if beaten here they must leave Virginia to her fate. I think by Thursday we shall be ready to commence the attack, which may last two or three days, but I cannot say that I have any apprehensions of the result. The Merrimac seems to be the great bugbear at this time, and she is an ugly customer, but I trust not as dangerous as many fear.

I mean to stand or fall with McClellan. He has been very kind to me, giving me a large command without my asking for it, and I am afraid too large for my deserts; and I believe they are determined to crush him. With much love,

Yours affectionately,
J. s.

SOURCE: George William Curtis, Correspondence of John Sedgwick, Major-General, Volume 2, p. 43-4

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