Item No. 4321991

In this pair of 1862 letters written during the Peninsula Campaign, Private August Klapp of the 20th New York discusses being reviewed by President Lincoln, capturing Norfolk, the scuttling of the rebel ironclad Virginia, steaming up the York River, and the uneasy waiting that followed the Battle of Seven Pines.

In the first letter, written from the Gosport Navy Yard on May 24 to his friend David T. Eckerson in Weekawken, Klapp recounts the events leading up to the capture of Norfolk. “Since I have written the last letter to you,” he writes, “some great movements have been made by us.” On May 7 they “were Reviewed by old Abe, Stanton, Chase, Gen. Wool and Staff” before striking their tents near Fortress Monroe on May 8 and boarding transports. “But the boats did not leave the docks,” he writes. On May 9 they marched back to their old campsite and had just gotten their tents set up again when orders came once more “to get ready, and on to Norfolk.”

Across the mouth of the James River from Fortress Monroe, Norfolk was well defended by heavy batteries at Sewell’s Point. During Lincoln’s visit with his generals, plans were developed to capture the city along with its nearby naval facilities at Portsmouth. If successful, the operation would root out the rebel ironclad Virginia, which had continued to overshadow Union war plans even after the fearsome ship’s confrontation with the US Navy’s Monitor in March. To avoid the guns at Sewell’s Point, the operation called for infantry to land to the east at Ocean View beach, and then march overland into Norfolk.

Continuing his letter, Klapp writes that the regiment prepared once more to leave camp:

At 2 P.M. we started for the Fortress, and were put on board of the Transports immediately on our arrival at the Docks. To our great pleasure, the Vessels proceeded in the Stream, where we cast anchor until darkness arrived. Old Abe superintended the whole affair and visited every vessel in a small tugboat. The rebels at Sewell’s Point fired 2 shots at us, which was responded by the Rip Raps [the US-held fort nearby]. We kept up a terrific fire on them from 7 until 11 o’clock. At 2 o’clock we raised our Anchors, and the whole fleet began to move.

WIth the Navy keeping the rebel artillery busy, the infantry landed on the beach early in the morning and “went ahead immediately.” Upon approaching Tanner’s Creek (today’s Lafayette River) via Halfway House, the New Yorkers discovered that the rebels had “set fire to the bridge just as we arrived at the half way house.” He relates how Companies C and I were then “sent out to reconnoiter and, just as we were about 200 yards of the bridge, the rebels opened fire on us with Shot, Shell, grape, and Canister, but fortunately none of us were hurt.” The regiment proceeded by another route, “and at 5 o’clock we entered the Entrenchments of Norfolk.”

Klapp continues discussing the scuttling of the Virginia and the munitions captured in the city. “The Merrimac was Blown up on Sunday morning at 5 o’clock,” he writes. “The Navy Yard is destroyed excepting 2 Buildings. We have Captured about 80 good Guns and 200 old Navy Guns, and immense quantity of Shot & Shell, and ammunition of all descriptions.”

He closes with the erroneous news that “Richmond is taken,” adding that “such reports are in circulation just now.” He then notes that “the Gals of Norfolk, Portsmouth, are afraid of us. They avoid us wherever they can.”

The second letter was written about three weeks later from Fair Oaks on June 15, where the army had been since the Battle of Seven Pines at the beginning of the month. Since taking Norfolk, the regiment had been assigned to the newly formed 6th Corps. Klapp opens with a complaint about his hardtack diet. “My stomach complains on account that we get too many of the Lincoln Platforms,” he writes. He then gets down to reporting news:

Since my last letter we have been moving all the time, but if we move again we will either move in Richmond or get a good whipping and be driven back to where we came from. We expect to be attacked at any moment. We are well prepared and if they should attack us, they will get a good whipping. We have everything arranged just to suit ourselves. We have every advantage of the field in case of an attack, and have positions where we are not exposed to enemy fire. We have to work very hard building Bridges, Corduroyed Roads, felling timbers, &c., &c. But the beauty of it is we get our whiskey in the Bargain.

Klapp then recounts “how we came here,” describing embarking on transports and steaming up the York River. Passing Yorktown, he is impressed by the busy scenery. “The Fortifications on the high bluffs, Gloucester Point, and a lot of schooners, Men of War, Steamers, and vessels of every Description moving about, would have been a big thing for an artist.” He and his comrades “were landed at White House station, about 11 miles from Richmond.”

“The cause that McClellan does not go ahead” toward Richmond, Klapp reasons, “is that Porter’s Division cannot cross the Chickahominy River. The rebels keep him at bay. The moment any party of men show themselves at the bridges to work, the rebels will begin to shell until every man is out of sight. But this obstacle has been in our way for the longest. We will soon clear the track.”

Full of youthful euphemisms, Klapp closes his letter to his friend at home joking that he “would like to be around Camp Mary Schneider’s once to see how you Drill. I understand that you use very short Rifles, &c., &c.”

The whipping would be done by the rebels beginning eleven days later, as the Union army was swept away from the Confederate capital during the Seven Days battles. At Savage’s Station on June 29, Klapp would be captured and eventually sent to a military prison camp. He was paroled eleven months later in May 1863 and was mustered out at New York on June 1, 1863.

Each letter is written upon a bifolium letter sheet measuring about 5” x 8”, on of which is on patriotically decorated stationery. Light toning and foxing. Creased at the original folds. The full transcripts appear below:

Gosport, Va.
May 24th 1862

Dear friend—
I have received your last letter on the 16th inst. and I see by your writing that you and the boys are well, which pleases me very much. I am as well as ever. Since I have written the last letter to you, some great movements have been made by us. On the 7 we were Reviewed by old Abe, Stanton, Chase, Gen. Wool and Staff. On the 8 we struck our tents and prepared to embark for Norfolk. We started at 10 A.M. but we had to go back again after we had marched half way to the Fort. At 3 P.M. we again started, and at 6 o’clock we were all on board, but the boats did not leave the docks. The next morning (9th) we marched home again, after all our trouble, and pitched our Tents again, but we had them hardly finished, ere we again had orders to get ready, and on to Norfolk. At 2 P.M. we started for the Fortress, and were put on board of the Transports immediately on our arrival at the Docks. To our great pleasure, the Vessels proceeded in the Stream, where we cast anchor until darkness arrived. Old Abe superintended the whole affair and visited every vessel in a small tugboat. The rebels at Sewell’s Point fired 2 shots at us, which was responded by the Rip Raps. We kept up a terrific fire on them from 7 until 11 o’clock. At 2 o’clock we raised our Anchors, and the whole fleet began to move.

At 5 o’clock in the morning we landed at Ocean View, about 12 miles from Norfolk. We went ahead immediately and at 10 we arrived at a deserted Cavalry encampment. At 12 o’clock we arrived at the halfway house, where there are 2 roads which lead to Norfolk. One is about 3 miles and the other is about 6 miles long. The short road lead to Tanner’s Creek. They set fire to the bridge just as we arrived at the half way house. Comp. C and Comp. I were sent out to reconnoiter and, just as we were about 200 yards of the bridge, the rebels opened fire on us with Shot, Shell, grape, and Canister, but fortunately none of us were hurt. The main body then went forward on the longer road, and at 5 o’clock we entered the Entrenchments of Norfolk. The rest you have learned through the Newspapers.

The Merrimac was Blown up on Sunday morning at 5 o’clock. The Navy Yard is destroyed excepting 2 Buildings. We have Captured about 80 good Guns and 200 old Navy Guns, and immense quantity of Shot & Shell, and ammunition of all descriptions.

We first encamped near Norfolk, we then moved to Tanner’s Creek, and now we are at Gosport Navy Yard. Richmond is taken. Such reports are in circulation just now. I send you some Secesh Money. That is what the secesh call specie.

Where did Coney Rivet move to, and who has got a Baby? The Gals of Norfolk, Portsmouth, are afraid of us. They avoid us wherever they can.

My Respects to you and all the boys from you friend truly
August Klapp
20th N.Y.S. Regt. Comp. C
Gen. Weber’s Brigade
Gosport, Va.

Fair Oaks, 3 miles in front of Richmond
June 15th 1862

Dear Friend Dave—
I have received your last letter of the 2nd on the 12th. Your letter has also been delayed, but that is on account of the Postal arrangements, which are not quite regulated. It makes me very happy to know that you are well, and I hope that little Peter will soon get over of his disease. I am very well, but my stomach complains on account that we get too many of the Lincoln Platforms (crackers) on the other side of the Chickahominy.

Since my last letter we have been moving all the time, but if we move again we will either move in Richmond or get a good whipping and be driven back to where we came from. We expect to be attacked at any moment. We are well prepared and if they should attack us, they will get a good whipping. We have everything arranged just to suit ourselves. We have every advantage of the field in case of an attack, and have positions where we are not exposed to enemy fire.

We have to work very hard building Bridges, Corduroyed Roads, felling timbers, &c., &c. But the beauty of it is we get our whiskey in the Bargain.

I had almost forgotten to let you know how we came here. We left Portsmouth 7th, embarked in Steamers, and arrived at Fortress Monroe early next morning. Of course it pleased us to see our old Camp Hamilton once more, probably for the last time. We left the Wharf at 10 A.M. on the 8th, passed down the Chesapeake Bay to York River. We passed Yorktown 3 in the afternoon. The scenery is most Picturesque. The Fortifications on the high bluffs, Gloucester Point, and a lot of schooners, Men of War, Steamers, and vessels of every Description moving about, would have been a big thing for an artist. We passed through York River in the Pamunkey River, which runs almost Parallel with the Chickahominy, and were landed at White House station, about 11 miles from Richmond. The cause that McClellan does not go ahead is that Porter’s Division cannot cross the Chickahominy River. The rebels keep him at bay. The moment any party of men show themselves at the bridges to work, the rebels will begin to shell until every man is out of sight. But this obstacle has been in our way for the longest. We will soon clear the track. In my next, more about the above.

I would like to be around Camp Mary Schneider’s once to see how you Drill. I understand that you use very short Rifles, &c., &c.

My best Respects to all the boys and my Love to you.
Yours truly
August Klapp

My Address
August Klapp
20th Regt. Comp. C, N.Y.S. Vols
Davidson’s Brigade, Smith’s Division
Potomac Army in front of Richmond, Va.