Harrison’s Landing, July 15, 1862
Dear Father:-
Your welcome letter commenced on the 4th and finished on the9th was received last evening. Your addressing me on the first page as “now at Richmond” was a little premature, for as you now know, we are farther from that City than we were when we first joined the Army of McClellan here. But we all think that it is for the best.
When Horace, the heathen Poet, heard of the victory of Augustus at Actium, he exclaimed “Now is the time for drinking and dancing, and now let the temples of the gods be decked with festoons,” but although the confederates claim a great victory, they certainly can not feel like rejoicing in reality for all they got they paid for and at a dear rate, too.
After the excitement has passed off and the movement we were ordered to make has become understood by the troops, there has a general spirit of satisfaction taken the place of feelings of doubt and despondency. I must confess I had many misgivings and fears as to the result of the engagements which were occurring. I, like all the rest, could not see the utility of falling back from the position we held at Mechanicsville while it was such an advantageous one to us. We were well-entrenched and protected by rifle pits and abbatis. Then why fall back? At least until forced to do so. We did not take into consideration the twenty miles of railroad which was exposed to the raids of the enemy, and the length of our lines which stretched along the swamps of the Chickahominy for ten or fifteen miles.
Then on the days of the several battles all that was required of us was to “hold our position,” merely to “repulse the enemy”, and not to follow them up but to fall back when night came. This had a tendency to discourage the men. The confidence of the faint-hearted was much shaken and you could see by the silent thoughtful expression that rested upon the countenance of almost every man that there were misgivings as to the result.
But now, you have no idea of the unity of feeling of confidence which the army has in its Commander. A disparaging word of McClellan, spoken either by the citizens at home or by the political press, is considered as an insult to the whole army here.
In the late engagements we lost about 25 pieces of Field Artillery of these about twelve belonged to our Division. This is considered a small loss and has already been replaced. The guns were of no use to the enemy for they have no ammunition to fit them, as they themselves admit.
July 17.—Nothing of importance has occurred this week as yet. I was down at the Landing last night and saw a large barge loaded with mortars. This means something. The Monitor lies at anchor off the wharf; she is decidedly the most insignificant-looking craft I ever saw. I appreciate the rebel description of her—“a cheesebox on a raft.”
The enemy still continue to annoy our shipping on the James River by their sharpshooters and artillery. They can not do us much damage as gunboats are cruising up and down the river all the time.
I do not know how you could construe my words so to make me say that I am in the 105th regt. I said nothing of that kind at all.
Porter’s Corps d’Armee consists of the Divisions of McCall, [Brigadier General George W.] Morell and [Brigadier General] George Sykes. The loss in our Division in the recent battles was 3083 in killed, wounded and missing. I think that 225 will cover all the killed.
We are said to be in the hottest part of Virginia; I see by an extract from the Richmond papers that the inhabitants think this “The hottest locality this side of Tophet.”
Very many of the Officers of the 10th Regt. have handed in their resignations within the last week or so. I guess some of them came into service for the pay and not for pure patriotism and when they find that they have a position of danger to occupy they would like to get out of it. Some of them get their discharges with very little trouble as the powers that be are glad to get rid of them, but a man who has been a good, effective officer finds difficulty in getting out of the service. Sion Smith has resigned and gone home, poor fellow. [1]
Enclosed is another little note for Mary. I wish I could see her and the rest of the children.
Yours affectionately, J. D. Chadwick
Next posting: July 23, 1862
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335
[1] Smith, promoted to major the previous May, returned not to Tennessee but to Andover, Ohio, about twenty-five miles west of Meadville. It is assumed that he stayed at the home of his brother James, then in the service but later a successful attorney. Ill with typhoid fever contracted while camped by the swamps of the Chicahominy, Sion Smith died August 5, 1862. When James and his wife had a son in December 1865, they named him Sion B. Smith; he would graduate from Allegheny College with the class of 1866.