Franklin County: Christian Geisel to Louisa Geisel,
April 22, 1862
Summary:
Geisel writes to his sister about the final days of the Peninsula campaign.
Louisa Geisel
April 22nd 1862
Camp Near Hampton
Dear Sister!
With pleasure i write to you these few lines and hope that they may find you in
as good health as they leave me in at present. I received a letter from William
after we arrived at Hampton in which i [unclear:
saw
] that you were all well and i was very glad to hear from you. i
answered his letter right away and i hope he has received it. I also received a
letter from Hannah just as we went on board of the vessel which i answered
before we started down the river. If William received his letter, i suppose you
have seen in it that we then
[page 1]
were at Hampton Virginia. when i wrote
it, we lay there until monday the 14th [deleted: ]. then we went about three miles out towards Yorktown where we are now
encamped near the James river. While we lay at Hampton
i saw a scrimmage between the rebel steamer marrimac and two of our gunboats. they threw shells at each other, but neither of them was
injured. I was sick for about a week after we came down here, but i am perfectly
well again at present. The neighbourhood we are in at present is quite level.
there is hardly a hill to be seen. there is a great many fruit trees around here
of all kinds, which are mostly all in blossom now.
[page 2]
the woods are
mostly pine; we had our horses out several times to [unclear:
pasture
] on a farm along the James river, about two miles from our camp; it
must have been a splendid place at one time, but it is now deserted and the
buildings are all burnt down. We hear cannonading
most every day in the direction of Yorktown, but no general battle has taken
place yet, but i suppose they will begin before long. there are now about
250,000 men concentrated around Yorktown on both sides, and i expect there will
be a hard fight there. I did not hear anything from Levi Markley since they left
Washington. they are somewhere in this vicinity, but i [unclear:
don't
]
[page 3]
know in what direction. the weather has been very pleasant
since we came down here. we had several thunder showers here. we had one today
which prevented us from drilling, and i thought i would take this opportunity to
write you a few lines; I received William's love letter which you sent me in his
[illeg.]. i think it is very well got up. has he found it out yet? i
believe i did not mention anything about it in his letter! you better be careful
or he might play the same trick on you; tell Anny that Nathan Jones is in our
company and is well. the young man that used to come with Harry Bernhard to see
Widow Kinder dine; give my best respects to all the family and all inquiring
friends.
your affectionate Brother
Christian Geisel
