Item No. 1119873

In this October 1864 letter Corporal DeElton F. Joslin of the 16th New York Heavy Artillery writes about the Battle of New Market Heights and the status of the Dutch Gap Canal.

As part of General Ulysses S. Grant’s latest effort to outflank the rebels holding Petersburg, General Benjamin F. Butler’s Army of the James—the 10th and 18th Corps, plus a cavalry division—crossed to the north bank of the James River on September 29, 1864. The plan was to threaten Richmond on the Union right while at the same time draw Confederates away from the main target on the Union left. General David B. Birney’s 10th Corps was to cross at the pontoon bridge at Deep Bottom and assault the works on New Market Heights held by Confederate General John Gregg.

Writing on October 5 to his sister Florence, Joslin begins his letter discussing the results of the attack on New Market Heights:

Since I wrote to you last from Petersburg we have moved from there to Deep Bottom, & now lay within about 5 miles from Richmond. We have been within a mile & a half of the City of Richmond twice. The last time we went up there in a rain storm. Our Brigade was in the advance & all of the Brigade went out on the skirmish line, but us we formed in line of battle & advanced as a kind of a reserve to the skirmish line. I am proud of one thing. My Regt was the nearest Regt in line of battle to Richmond City that has been since the war. A good many men has been killed up here. There was some killed & wounded in my Regt. I was over to the 2 Division & now the 117th Regt. The boys are all well. Jake Miller is one of the Color Guard. The Color Guard is formed of Corporals 6 in number, & the man that carries the colors is a Sergeant, & they were all killed but the Sergeant & Jake. The 117th Regt lost 120 men.

Joslin then gives an update on the Dutch Gap Canal project, in which a massive canal was being dug to bypass a meander in the James River that was controlled by Confederate artillery. He writes, “you would know if we had got done with that canal yet. The canal is most done they say. We only stayed there 10 days. That was all, & then we went to Petersburg.”

He then discusses a threat by the corps commander General Birney:

By the time you get this I may be a private again. General Birney has issued an order that all of the commissioned & non-commissioned officers that straggled on the march from Petersburg to their place & are to be reduced to the ranks & all privates to have a drum head court martial & have one month’s pay taken from them, so if the order takes effect I will be reduced to the ranks. Well I don’t care. I done the best I could. I got some sand in my stockings & a-walking made my feet sore.

It does not appear the threat came to anything, particularly because two days later on October 7, Birney, who had been ill for weeks, was transported by ambulance to City Point and thus to Philadelphia to recuperate. He would be diagnosed with typhoidmalaria and die October 18.

Joslin closes the letter with a few more remarks:

You say that I have a little sister at home. I would like to see it first rate. So far I have not had any fighting to do, but the night that we went up to Richmond the shot & shell flew thick & fast, but I did not get hit. I don’t know when I will have to fight though. You must excuse this bad writing, for I have got to write it on my knee.

Joslin would muster out at Washington in August 1865. The letter was written on four pages of a 5” x 8” letter sheet. Excellent condition with light foxing and toning. Creased at the original folds. Includes the oringal Christian Commission transmittal cover with 3-cent stamp and Old Point Comfort postmark. The full transcript follows.

Chafins Farm, Oct 5th 1864

Dear Sister
I received your kind letter this morning & was glad to hear from you & to hear that you was all well. Since I wrote to you last from Petersburg we have moved from there to Deep Bottom, & now lay within about 5 miles from Richmond. We have been within a mile & a half of the City of Richmond twice. The last time we went up there in a rain storm. Our Brigade was in the advance & all of the Brigade went out on the skirmish line, but us we formed in line of battle & advanced as a kind of a reserve to the skirmish line. I am proud of one thing. My Regt was the nearest Regt in line of battle to Richmond City that has been since the war. A good many men has been killed up here. There was some killed & wounded in my Regt. I was over to the 2 Division & now the 117th Regt. The boys are all well. Jake Miller is one of the Color Guard. The Color Guard is formed of Corporals 6 in number, & the man that carries the colors is a Sergeant, & they were all killed but the Sergeant & Jake. The 117th Regt lost 120 men.

You would know if we had got done with that canal yet. The canal is most done they say. We only stayed there 10 days. That was all, & then we went to Petersburg. What Regt is Barry Ruby in? He must be somewhere around here. I am well & in good health, & hope this will find you the same. By the time you get this I may be a private again. General Birney has issued an order that all of the commissioned & non-commissioned officers that straggled on the march from Petersburg to their place & are to be reduced to the ranks & all privates to have a drum head court martial & have one month’s pay taken from them, so if the order takes effect I will be reduced to the ranks. Well I don’t care. I done the best I could. I got some sand in my stockings & a-walking made my feet sore. While I am a corporal I cannot get on detached service the same as last winter. You say that I have a little sister at home. I would like to see it first rate. So far I have not had any fighting to do, but the night that we went up to Richmond the shot & shell flew thick & fast, but I did not get hit. I don’t know when I will have to fight though. You must excuse this bad writing, for I have got to write it on my knee. Write as soon as you get this. From your Brother D. F. Joslin

Direct you letter to DeElton F. Joslin
Company (A) 16 N.Y. H. Artillery
1 Division, 2nd Brigade, 10 Army Corps
Washington D.C.

D. F. Joslin