1862 Battle of Williamsburg, Virginia

Excellent content about Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard and Union General Daniel E. Sickles

4 pages, 5 x 8, in pencil, written by Sergeant Charles S. Cockett, Co. C, 70th New York Infantry.

In Hospital, 14 miles from Richmond, June 2nd, 1862

Jno. Gifford,

Laurens, N.Y.

Friend John,

I am in the Hospital and for the first time since I became a soldier it is from a wound. I was cutting some pins to set up my tent with & using a large knife for that purpose, it glanced on the stick & slipped from my hand & the point entered my leg just above the knee going to the bone. This was a week ago yesterday. It is now getting so I can get around very well & I shall be out in a day or two. Saturday [General] Casey’s Division were fighting all day long & they were driven back some two miles. Our Division was ordered forward to support them but did not get in, in time that night, but they were on hand Sunday morning & opened the fight again & they drove the Rebels back again at a charge bayonets, and without much loss to us, but the Rebels suffered terribly. It was very exciting to us here as we could hear the whole of it. Some of the time they were only three miles off & we could hear the musketry very distinctly. We have not got the particulars yet & if we had it would not be much use for me to give them for you will get them all through the press before this reaches you. Rumors say [General] Beauregard has evacuated Corinth & I place great credit to it for I think they are getting scared her at Richmond & will want Beauregard’s assistance. We are getting mighty close on to them & they have either got to give us Richmond or else fight & then give it to us. If Beauregard can get his forces here before we can get reinforcements they will give us all we can attend to & perhaps more. I felt mortified & saddened when the news came of [General] Banks being driven back. I supposed he had forces enough to hold his position easily. We lost many valuable lives to get possession of the Shenandoah Valley & now we have lost it again & even Washington is threatened, but as far as the Capital is concerned I apprehended no dangers for I don’t believe they could take it if all their troops should besiege it. I have felt sorry that I could not be with my Regiment in yesterday’s fight, but it was impossible as I am so lame & cannot get along much, the wound is in a bad place it being so close to the knee joint that it stiffened the joint & makes the cords & muscles very sore. The Regiment lays about 7 or 8 miles from here under arms all the time. [General] Sickles was to lead them. I have no doubt you saw his appointment & confirmation some time since when he came here to take command of his Brigade. He received the greatest reception that ever I saw. He visited each Regiment separately in their camps. When he came to our Regiment the boys turned out & such cheering was never heard before. The boys took him in their arms & carried him around. He was so full he could not speak. Oh he was glad. After the cheering subsided a little he shook hands with the officers & men & then said boys I have come to stay with you this time. It was all he could say, but the cheering was longer & louder than before of that were possible. They cheered until they could cheer no more. I never saw men feel so glad in my life & it was every man too. There was no exceptions. All turned to do him honor & your humble servant was as glad as any of them. One of our wounded boys has died since I wrote you last. His name was Wm. H. Price making eleven in all that we lost in the fight at Williamsburg besides the wounded. The rest of them are doing well at last account. Some are in Philadelphia & some at Fortress Monroe. Our Col. is slowly gaining & they have hopes he will get well notwithstanding his wound is a very bad one. He is at the insane asylum at Washington at their request. Our Lieut. Col. is also gaining. There is occasional firing of heavy guns today to come from the right. No small arms has been heard here. They are too distant to be heard if there is any fighting. I presume you saw the account of the 4th Michigan Regt. near New Bridge. We drove them on both those places as we always do. I must close. I wrote you some time ago giving the details or some of them of our fight at Williamsburg. Did you get my letter? By the way John has been promoted. I am now 3rd Sergeant of Co. C. Give me cheer.

Yours truly,

Chas. S. Cockett

To Jno. Gifford. Esq.

Light age toning and wear. This is one of the best Union soldier letters I have ever come across regarding the "Excelsior Brigade" and the 70th New York Infantry. Colonel, at the time, Daniel E. Sickles recruited the 70th New York Infantry, at Staten Island, N.Y., as part of the "Excelsior Brigade" which he led into the war. Less than a year later he encountered his old regiment near Richmond, Virginia, and the officers and men had a grand time temporarily reuniting with their original colonel, now Brigadier General Daniel E. Sickles, who was given a hero's reception in their camp. Sickles was now in command of the "Excelsior Brigade." There is also some excellent content regarding Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard, who was rumored to be coming to the eastern theater from Corinth, Mississippi.



Charles S. Cockett, was 24 years old when he enlisted as a private, and was mustered into Co. C, 70th New York Infantry. He was promoted to corporal, and sergeant, June 12, 1862, and Commissary Sergeant, November 1, 1862. He was mustered out of the Union Army on July 1, 1864 at New York City. He was a member of GAR Pot #6, (Bartleson) in Joliet, Illinois. He died on September 20, 1888.

William H. Price, mentioned in Cockett's letter was 19 years old when he enlisted on April 22, 1861, and was mustered in a s a private in Co. C, 70th New York Infantry. He was killed in action on May 5, 1862, at the battle of Williamsburg, Virginia.

The 70th New York Infantry was the first regiment of the "Excelsior Brigade," and Colonel Daniel E. Sickles recruited this regiment from special authority of the War Department, at Camp Scott, Staten Island, N.Y., and they were mustered into the United States Service on June 20, 1861, for 3 years, serving with the "Excelsior Brigade" commanded by Colonel Daniel E. Sickles.