Item No. 3984884

Private Philip Crewell of the 34th New York Infantry wrote this letter to his brother on October 28, 1862, from Bolivar Heights near Harpers Ferry. The regiment had been in the area for more than a month, after marching there in the days following the Battle of Antietam.

After first relating a mixup regarding a box sent to him, Crewell states that “there is some talk of moving on towards the enemy, and if we do there will be another battle,” because the rebels “have heavy breastworks at Winchester.” He then comments on the criticism leveled against General George B. McClellan in the weeks following Antietam:

As before it seems that the folks are anxious for us to have a winter campaign, or that we had ought to follow them up right along after the last battle, and some blame McClellan. But if they could see one battle and then see how that man works, and then have traitors for generals, and not obey orders as there was in this last battle, for if General Frencheé had come up on our left as he was ordered, we wouldn’t of been outflanked, nor had to [have] left our line. But what can one man do if he has to work against so many, and never was a man loved better by his man that he is.

It’s understandable that Crewell would be bitter about the results of the battle because as part of General John Sedgwick’s attack the 34th had suffered very heavily. He blames General William H. French, whose division Crewell claims should have come up on Sedgwick’s left. In reality, inadequate communication between 2nd Corps commander Edwin V. Sumner and division commander French resulted in French arriving at his waypoint with no orders, and he took it upon himself to attack the Confederate center along the sunken road.

Crewell then naively speculates that another Union force on the Peninsula could cut off the rebels in the Shenandoah Valley:

But if everything goes off all right there will be a move made that will shut out some of the rebels from Richmond, for I think that if the report is right, that the army that is on the Peninsula, if they an get the gap that leads to the Shenandoah they can hold them safe, but as for me, they needn’t have another fight.

He closes, “If we don’t have another battle this fall, I think that we will be apt to get our discharge this fall.”

The letter was written on two pages of a letter sheet measuring 8” x 12 1/2”. Creased at the original folds. The full transcript follows.

Camp Bolivar Heights, Va
Oct 28th 1862

A. J. Crewell

Brother, once more I have the pleasure of writing to you. I have but a few lines to write, but still I know that they are most welcome. I have written to John Banger today, as I said that I had received my box, but it wasn’t mine. The quartermaster had made a mistake. It wasn’t my name, but still he says that it is to the express office.

Now as to the movement here there is some talk of moving on towards the enemy, and if we do there will be another battle, for they have heavy breastworks at Winchester. But it may be another Camp Shumer. As before it seems that the folks are anxious for us to have a winter campaign, or that we had ought to follow them up right along after the last battle, and some blame McClellan. But if they could see one battle and then see how that man works, and then have traitors for generals, and not obey orders as there was in this last battle, for if General Frencheé had come up on our left as he was ordered, we wouldn’t of been outflanked, nor had to left our line. But what can one man do if he has to work against so many, and never was a man loved better by his man that he is. But if everything goes off all right there will be a move made that will shut out some of the rebels from Richmond, for I think that if the report is right, that the army that is on the Peninsula, if they an get the gap that leads to the Shenandoah they can hold them safe, but as for me, they needn’t have another fight.

Write as soon as you receive the money. If we don’t have another battle this fall, I think that we will be apt to get our discharge this fall. Write whether you have received my likenesses. No more. From Your Brother
Philip Crewell

N.Y.S.V.
N.Y.S.V.
N.Y.S.V.   N.Y.S.V.

To A. J. Crewell
Columbia
Herkimer Co
N.Y.