“The enemy are reported in large force before us.  The bridge will be finished today.  All the sick and
those that are not able to stand hard duty are being sent to Alexandria this morning.”

“Our gunboats were repulsed 7 miles below Richmond.  They ran into a hornets’ nest. We may
have more business then we bargained for in taking Richmond.”

“A rebel major came into us yesterday with flag of truce, his business I did not learn.  He was
taken through here about 2 o’clock.  Two deserters came in this morning.”

The writer of this two page letter, written in pencil, dated “Monday Morning 19th/62”, was Henry Witman, a Private in Company C of the 149th Pennsylvania Infantry.  We have had many of Henry’s letters… and therefore a positive I.D. even though he just signs the letter “Henry”.  The lines that we started off with about the enemy appear on the 2nd page of this letter.  Writing his cousin Louise, the first part of the letter is spent encouraging her to not be discouraged but to be “cheerful under all circumstances no matter how difficult”.

“A CHEERFUL MIND OVERCOMES DISEASE & DIFFICULTIES TO JOY & HEALTH”

Henry’s Civil War Database information unfortunately states that HE DIED OF DISEASE two years later!

#HB78PA - Price $55