Action-packed correspondence archive from Daniel H. Hopping of the New York 24th Cavalry, each signed “D. H. Hopping” and “D. H. H.,” consisting of six letters, 19 total pages, dating between June 1864 and January 1865. After being discharged for disability from the NY 15th Cavalry for the cause of ‘under size,’ the 5´ 6″ Hopping was mustered into the ‘C’ company of the NY 24th on December 28, 1863, with the regiment eventually serving in the 2nd Brigade, 3rd Division, 9th Corps of the Army of Potomac on June 11, 1864. Each letter is directed to his brother Joseph in Auburn, New York, with the contents of the letters featuring several harrowing accounts of the Virginia battleground.
The first letter, June 9, 1864, written from the “Battlefield,” in part: “Our Brigade was ordered to move…about three miles and halted for a rest, it was very warm and dusty and we were told to cook our dinner and make ourselves comfortable, our meal was soon dispatched as we had nothing but hard crackers and coffee, when we lay down for a rest, we were soon aroused by a sharp volley of musketry, half a mile in our rear, and found that our rear guard had been attacked, we were soon in line of battle and started at double quick to support our rear and reach a line of rifle pits distant ¼ of a mile. Skirting the edge of the wood we had to cross the open field, we gained half the distance and were met by a volley of minny balls, but we reached the rifle pits in time, although we were under a heavy fire for some distance, we suffered some loss before we had gained our position, but not as much as I should have supposed under the circumstances…
We were but nicely in position when the Rebs charged on us, on they came, yelling like demons, but we were ready for them, it was the last charge many of them will ever make, our artillery soon commenced shelling from our rear, and the enemy opened on us with shell grape and canister, but our position was such that the enemy’s fire was not very effective, the battle lasted from four until eight p.m., what the loss on the sides of the enemy was will not be known soon but I was told by those who looked up our dead and wounded that they lay very thick near our rifle pits, the loss in the 24 Cav was 106 killed wounded and missing, what our whole loss was I have not been able to learn. At nine p.m. our brigade fell back a mile and took up another position working all night entrenching, next morning at four o’clock the enemy were attacked, they having advanced a division taking position about one fourth of a mile from our front, the 25th being in the front line, and occupying a position to support the artillery, gave us a Fairview of the engagement or part of it.
The attack was made by a brigade of Pennsylvania troops who advanced on the enemy across our breastworks, and charged the first line of the Rebs, a heavy line of skirmishes appeared in the edge of the woods…our brave fellows advanced unflinching, but some of them never reached the woods, some fell before they had advanced twenty paces from our breastwork, the wounded were assisted to the rear as quickly as possible, I noticed one poor fellow who was shot through the cheek, his tongue hanging from his mouth having been severed by the ball, there are so many incidents of that terrible battle which I cannot mention now. The Rebs fought like very devils, but they were met every time and repulsed, the battle ceased at dark and the Rebs fell back as usual leaving us in possession of their earthworks, we are now nine miles from Richmond, there has been no fighting for several days, except skirmishing, but I am looking for a heavy battle soon. Our army is building very strong fortifications and making other preparations for defence, you have an opportunity of knowing more of the army movements than I have, as I but seldom see a paper, my health is still very good although I have seen some tough times.”
The second letter, consisting of news from July 29th and August 1st, in part: “On the 26th our Brigade was ordered to be in readiness for the march in one hour’s time…a soldier is supposed to know nothing in the service except to obey orders, we moved back to the rear out of sight of the Rebs lookout posts then moved down to the left along our line some five miles, we are stationed on the extreme left and to the rear, forming a skirmish line and picket line about a mile in advance of the skirmish line to prevent a flank movement of the enemy or a surprise…I am out on picket now, we have five men on a post…My post is in the edge of the woods a short distance from the residence of some planter who has taken the oath of allegiance and remains at home with his family protected by a file of our men…
Last night about sundown cannonading commenced in the direction of Petersburg, it soon became very severe for a mile or more along the line, heavy mortars sixty four pounder siege guns and of various caliber were used in such rapid succession, causing such continual reverberation that one could hardly distinguish one gun from another, the sky was illumined over Petersburg, with all the appearance that the city was in flames, on account of the distance and the continual discharge of artillery. I could not tell whether they were engaged with small arms or not, you need not be surprised to hear that a sever engagement has taken place and that Petersburg is in ashes.”
The August 1st portion of the letter, in part: “I had to close suddenly…our picket line received orders to fall back to the skirmish line pack up at once and be ready to march at a moment’s notice, we marched back to the right and halted near our camp…it began to look ominous of a battle, we started at three directly for the front and in the direction of Petersburg, we halted near our front line and a large force of the 9th corps. massed for an attack on the enemy, we waited until the sun was about rising, when we were startled suddenly by a conclusive movement of the earth, and a dull, heavy explosion, almost simultaneously one hundred pieces of artillery belched forth pouring tons of shot and shell into the enemy’s front lines of earth works…
Standing in front and close to their front line of works, before the enemy had time to recover, a division of the 9th corps had charged on their front line and carried it, the enemy had now become fully sensible of what was transpiring and opened on our men with grape and canister and muskets from their second line, but wholly regardless of danger they soon reached the 2nd line and carried it, but it was done at a fearful cost of life, a terrible artillery swell was going on dealing death on every hand, our division held, what they had gained until ten o’clock when a division of colored troops were ordered in to relieve them and charge on the 3rd line, they went in and advanced to the 3rd line when the black rascals broke and run like sheep, that decided the battle, the day was lost, the enemy charged on them and soon had taken back all we had gained with the exception of the explosion of the fort contained 2 rgt. with a general and his staff, the fort presented a horrible sight when our troops reached it men mangled in all ways imaginable.”
The third letter, August 16th, in part: “We are in the same position as when I wrote you last, holding the line where the charge was made from on July 30th. Butler has had a fight down on the right and I hear the command of the railroad from Petersburg to Richmond, how far otherwise he has been successful I did not learn. There is now only one line (of battle) in the centre, where our brigade are…There has nothing transpired recently in our vicinity of much note, the usual picket and artillery firing is kept up, a few men are killed or wounded every day…We had a good rain two days ago…There are many sick and our division hospital is filling up fast so I hear, I have not been feeling very well for some days, still able to do duty…This campaign tries both soul and body, you mention a fight the 9th corps had with the enemy on the 7th inst. part of the corps might have been in the fight but not to my knowledge. Do the abolitionists still say use up the last man and the last dollar to subjugate the South, if they do, they had better shoulder the musket and turn out en masse and come down here, I think they would find it quite a different affair. I believe the best military men in the Federal Army are convinced that it is time to have peace, otherwise than by fighting, and that it can be done honorably to both parties…I am for peace and I almost know that I am speaking the sentiments of the mass of the Potomac Army. The sacrifices and sufferings of the army of the Potomac in this summer campaign has been sufficient to establish peace to the country…and I hope the all-wise being who rules the universe will put it in the hearts of the people of this nation to see that peace is better than war.”
The fourth letter, written on September 4th, in part: “It must be exciting times with those liable to the draft and profitable to those who wish to avail themselves of the opportunity to go as substitutes, but if I was in Cayuga Co., a free man, and was offered a good title to the whole county to serve one year in this double damned [racial epithet] war, knowing what I now know, I would consider myself insulted, this accursed war was instituted by demagogues and gamblers of the North, and from thousands of sanctuaries throughout the northern states have ascended prayers to the Almighty to sustain them in this unnatural and wicked wholesale murder (never in the view I take of matters) was such blasphemy and insult offered to the great author and judge of all mankind. I see by the papers that McClellan has the nomination for the Presidency on the Democratic ticket, well I am no politician, but I think it is quite time that something was done to bring about a better state of things…
About ten days ago we occupied some works in the advance, not more than twenty rods from the enemy, orders came to march at three in the morning, about twelve at night the enemy opened two batteries on us from right and left, with shell filled with bullets from the size of a musket ball to that of an inch in diameter, the batteries were so near that the shell would burst before the report of the gun could be heard, giving us no warning until we saw the blaze of the infernal shell and heard the whizzing of its fragments and its contents, often before the report died away could be heard the painful cry of some of our comrades who had fallen to rise no more, two men were killed that morning within a few feet of me, and many were wounded all round me, one shell bursting within ten feet of me wounded five, two of them mortally, perhaps some protecting hand warded off the deadly missiles, at the taking of the Welden Road our Regt. were on picket we had just been relieved by another Regt. not to exceed twenty minutes when they were flanked by a large force of the enemy, and all captured with eight of our men who had stopped to talk with some of the relief…We are now some three miles from Petersburg building breast works and forts in advance of the old line of works and straightening the line…it has been quiet along the line for some days, the enemy in our front are about a mile off, the indications are that we are preparing for winter quarters here, if necessary.”
The fifth letter, postmarked December 27th, written from “Winter quarters, V.A.,” written on embossed ‘Union’ letterhead, in part: “We are near our old camp some 3 miles from Petersburg, staying 3 in a log shanty, when we are not out scouting on a raid or on picket, which we are ¾ of the time. On the night of the 29th of Nov. a party of 75 from the regt. went in search of a guerilla camp guided by a contraband. We found the camp some 10 miles distant, nicely situated on a small island in a swamp. We came upon them about 2 o’clock in the morning and found them about fifteen in number fast asleep, and we should have bagged the whole lot if one of the men had not fired his carbine to soon, we however killed 3 wounded 3 more and took one prisoner, also recovered 7 of our horses they had taken from us.
Dec. 1st our division went out to Stony Creek Station on the Welden R.R. some twenty miles from camp. We captured 190 prisoners, including 7 commissioned officers, 5 baggage wagons, 31 mules and 5 horses, and burnt the freight house containing some considerable army stores, we also burnt a large steam grist and saw mill. We had some sharp skirmishing for a short time, the loss on either side was slight. Dec. 7th the division started on a raid accompanied by part of the 2nd and 5 corps, we reached the Welden road near Stony Creek Station, the first day and destroyed some 3 miles of the track before dark. Next morning the infantry joined us and we operated together, destroying the road as far as Belfield some forty miles from Petersburg, where we found the enemy in strong force and entrenched. The object of the raid seemed to have been accomplished thus far. We had very effectually destroyed over 21 miles of R.R. A whole brigade would take hold of the rail and ties and turn the whole thing over…another party followed in their rear, building fires from pine fence rails which were plenty, burning the ties and warping the rails, so that they are entirely useless.
A severe storm of rain mixed with snow now set in and rations for men and horses being nearly expended I think prevented an attack being made on the enemy’s works. We counter marched by the same road we marched out by. The enemy followed us some 25 miles and we had skirmishing in the rear and flank considerable of the time…We learned that 5 infantrymen which had straggled to the rear had been killed by Bushwack. Gen’l Warren now issued an order to burn everything of value on the road, and the order was obeyed to the letter. Some of the finest buildings I have seen in V.A. was on our road to camp and in less than 10 hours there was nothing left of them but smoking embers and stacks of chimneys.”
The last letter, dated January 16, 1865, written from “Car. Camp” on ‘The Constitution’ letterhead, in part: “The weather here is very changeable, cold enough today to freeze you, and warm as summer tomorrow…The roads are almost impassable except for horsemen. You ask if I had a Christmas dinner, and I answer most emphatically yes…My dinner consisted of hard tack and raw pork, but the ghosts of former Christmas dinners and the remembrance of kind friends I engaged them with brought to my memory anything but pleasant reflection.” All but one of the letters are accompanied by their original mailing envelope. In overall very good to fine condition.
