Archive Record

Images

1 of 1977

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Metadata

Catalog Number

XI.1.2.2019.029.27

Collection

Hazzard Family Collection

Object Name

Letter

Title

Letter from Thomas D. Hazzard to Joseph H. Hazzard

Scope & Content

In this letter, Thomas Davis Hazzard writes to his brother after a stay in the hospital. This letter details the Union retreat from the Siege of Yorktown. This retreat included continued conflict with Confederate troops and the destruction of rations, property, and a train. Hazzard notes that his regiment was involved in the Battle of Seven Pines; however, he was sick and not involved. When his troops arrived at West Point, Hazzard was sent to the hospital. In the hospital, Hazzard was treated for his ailments, but he was also witness to a great loss of life. Hazzard includes a story a carriage of gentlemen and women who drove through camp tossing out supplies and creating a scramble as the soldiers gathered them up.

Dates of Creation

July 16, 1862

Date

July 16, 1862

Notes

This letter is addressed to "Brother." All of Thomas D. Hazzard's letters are addressed to "Brother," in reference to Joseph H. Hazzard.

The full transcription of the letter is as follows:

Harrisons Landing July 16th 1862
[Virginia]

Dear Brother
I take my pen in hand to drop you afue [a few] lines. you must excues [exuse] me for not writing Scooner [Sooner] but the day after we landed at west point [West Point] i was taken sick and a day or two after thay [they] sent me to the Hospital and at last i was sent to a general Hospital with some kind of swamp feever [fever] thear [there] i laid some 3 days befor [before] aney [any] Dockter [Doctor] come to see me and after he did come it was 4 days befor [before] the medicans [medicines] arived [arrived] and during those 7 days sevral [several] men died. and we had verey [very] little to eat. well i spent 6 weeks thear [there] and the Rebles [Rebels] drove us all away. so i whent [went] to my Regt. [Regiment] wich [which] was at a place called 7 pines thay [they] had been in that Battle wich [which] was fought at that place, and i was unfit for duty and i layed [laid] in my tent 2 or 3 weeks and had just commenced to do duty the day befor [before] our Retrete [Retreat] from that place. and our Division was the rear guard and on sunday [Sunday] morning we burned thousands of Dollars worth of rashions [rations] up and distroyied [destroyed] aney [any] amount of amunition [ammunition] and bloed [blew] up a lokeymotive [locomotive] and train of cars and by that time the Rebles [Rebels] came in sight so we. commenced to fight and we had to fight in the day time and march all night and thus we put 5 or 6 days in. our Regt. [Regiment] have lost 250 men and all our clothes was lost our Company lost 16 men all but 3 was nearly all of our Officers and men
[page break]
are sick. i am on the sick list. you wold [would] not know me as i have got so thing thin. We have got a new Lut. [Lieutenant] Conl. [Colonel] he is a regular and you wold [would] lafugh [laugh] to see both officers and men getting out of his way when he is looking around he makes us all come up to time, we get up some mornings at 3 oclock and some times not untill [until] ½ past 4 and then we drill from 6 to 7 and then get our brakfast [breakfast] and then at 8 oclock we polece [police] the streets and then we are don [done] untill [until] 12 Oclock when we fall into line and march for dinner and then we have roll call at 3 oclock and inspection at ½ past 4 and Dress praid [parade] at 6 and after Dress praid [parade] one hours drill and then [tatoo] at ½ past 8. General Burnsides and his fleet is hear [here] in the James River. the other day thear [there] was a carrage [carriage] with a gentleman and a lady drove though [through] our camp and as thay [they] passed thay [they] scatterd [scattered] Oranges and difrent [different] things out and such scrambling you never sawr [saw] i stood back and let them pitch in. Our General W. W. Burns was wonded [wounded] twice but he would not give up he is as brave a man as ever wore a generals uniform he wold [would] not even goe [go] to the reare [rear] and get his wonds [wounds] dressed untill [until] the fight was over. and he was orderd [ordered] to goe [go] to his home in Philad [Philadelphia] and recute [recover?] his health. Major Parrish has resined [resigned] and will leave for home tomoorow [tomorrow] or next day and now i wish i was in his place. he days he is goen [going] to rais [raise] another Regt- [Regiment] i sent you a book called Bakers. Memoral [Memorial] the likness [likeness] is a
[page break]
good one. the wether [weather] is verey [very] hot hear [here] and i belive [believe] if a cup full of water was to stand in it longe [long] enufe [enough] it wold [would] allmost [almost] boil we ware our drawrs [draws] and Shirt when not on duty and we hunt a shady place in the woods. i would give aney thing [anything] allmost [almost] to get out of the U. S. servis [service], as i have sawr [saw] plenty of soldiern [soldiering]. And now i will close as i do not know what els [else] to write.
I remain Your Brother
T. D. Hazzard

P. S. give my respects to John Barrey and to Ann and Recive [Receive] the sam [same] your self [yourself]. if you can i wish you wold [would] send me some post stamps and once and a while a pictoral paper. we get the New York and Philad [Philadelphia] News papers that day after thay [they] are printed. i hope this may find you and your famile [family] enjoying good health
No More at present
TDH
Direct to me
Comp- [Company] B. Bakers California Regt. [Regiment]
Camp Near Harrisons Landing Va [Virginia]
Va Fortress Monroe
Write Scoon [Soon] Virginia

Extent of Description

1 leaf, 13.875" by 8.9"

Relation

Show Related Records...

Condition

Good

Condition Notes

Overall, letter is in good condition. The sheet has three vertical folds. One in the center splitting the page in half, and two others each about an inch from the center fold. The sheet also has two horizontal folds across the page, splitting the sheet into equal thirds. There are two less pronounced horizontal creases, one in the center of the page and one about a half inch from the top edge. There is some discoloration along the fold lines. There is about an inch and a half long tear along the center vertical fold at the bottom of the page.

Legal Status

Owned by The Union League Legacy Foundation.