Headquarters 56th Mass. Vols.,
Near Petersburg, Va., June 26, ’64.
Dear Father, — . . . We are still “in statu quo,” neither side doing much beyond a little shelling, and picket firing.
I saw Frank last evening at the division hospital. He seems very well and in good spirits.
What is to be our next move no one knows. I hear that a charge is to be made to-morrow along the whole line. I doubt this very much, as I don’t think that we can afford to lose the men that would necessarily be sacrificed in such an attempt. If unsuccessful, it would be disastrous in the extreme to us, so I hope that we shan’t risk it. We shall have our hands full, in my opinion, to hold our own here, which we shall have to do, in order to save Hunter and Sherman. If we cut off Petersburg from Richmond and keep it so, we ought to wait until we can get reinforcements from Hunter or Sherman. By waiting here, and threatening Richmond, we can prevent Lee from reinforcing Johnston, and let Sherman use him up. Our losses have been fearful since the beginning of this campaign. Since crossing the James River alone, we have lost 14,000 men.
I wish that they would abolish the $300 commutation, and have a draft, which will bring men, and a decent class of men. We need them now very much indeed.
We are now in the second line of intrenchments, and were it not for the fearfully hot weather, should be comparatively comfortable. The weather is fearful, and at noon it is almost dangerous to put one’s head out into the sun.
I don’t know what to do about a major. I need some one here to help me, and to take charge of the regiment in case anything happens to me. . . . The one that I wish to nominate, Captain Z. B. Adams, is wounded and a prisoner. . . .
