Office Chief A. Q. M. 3rd Div. 5th Army Corps
Bristoe Station Va.
March 21, 1864
Dear Father,
Your letter dated the 19th at the “Continental” has been received by the mail of today. I say your letter—the letters of the boys to you rather as you did not write much. I received your letter of the 15th and answered it, but as you said nothing about it I suppose you have not received it. I received news from five of the family yesterday—Ma, Frank, Miles, Bing and Mary. Those sick seemed to be convalescent. There is nothing of importance transpiring here at present. We have been on the qui-vive—expecting a visit from Jeb Stuart. The guards along the railroad have been doubled for the past three or four days and this command has been put under arms before daylight in the morning several times. Yesterday morning we had quite a bustle, the ”long roll” was beaten and every thing was in readiness to give the expected raiders a welcome, but they have not come as yet and I do not expect them. It was reported that Stuart had crossed the Rappahannock near Falmouth with five thousand men. This accounts for the scare. We are expecting General Grant to take charge of us this week—Nobody has any objection to his superintending matters here, yet Genl. Mead is well liked by the soldiers of this Army.[1] I see by the papers that the Veterans Regiments of the State of Ohio are ordered to the Army of the Potomac. This is a step in the right direction—give us an overwhelming force here if we are to storm earthworks and entrenchments as we go “on to Richmond”. The President is doing well in calling out so large a force for if Lee would attempt another Maryland and Penna. Campaign we might not boast of another “Gettysburg”. What would have been our condition if we had been routed on that bloody field? When I think of it, I do not wonder that the people of Phila. wept for joy when the telegraph bore the news to them that the enemy had been beaten. I had a letter yesterday from an officer of the Staff of [Brigadier] Genl. [George H.] Thomas, at Chattanooga. He thinks that there will not be as heavy fighting there for some months to come as there was in the fall.
Veterans are returning and recruits are still coming for the Army. If you look at the Phila. Inquirer of the—either 19th, 10th, or 21st, I don’t mind which, you will see in the “Harrisburg Letter” something that pleases, or will please us all. It states that the P. R. V. C’s will be mustered out in three year’s time from the date of muster into the State service. Good news if true.
The Rockland boys here are as well as usual—I will write to you at any time you wish, as we have a daily mail. If you leave Phila. keep me posted. If you received the other letter I wrote you you can give me a long answer if you tell me all I asked. I will close for this time.
Yours affty.
J. D. Chadwick
Next posting: March 25, 1864
Jonathan E. Helmreich
College Historian
Allegheny College
Meadville, PA 16335
[1] Grant was appointed general-in-chief in March 1864. Meade retained the title of commander of the Army of the Potomac, but Grant assumed actual direction of the army.