[Draft] In Camp before Yorktown Va. May 4th/62 Dear Mother Yorktown is ours. Before this reaches you the papers will give you the full particulars. I can only tell you of what I myself have seen. It is four weeks yesterday since we arrived before this place; since that time there has not been one single idle moment either day or night rain or shine, building fortifications has been the order of day and every day; there has been five thousand men from our Division have been employed [strikeout]. These entrenchments have daily progressed nearer and nearer to the enemy till we finally threw up one a few nights since within a few hundred yards of them; it has been a matter of some surprise to me that the enemy should allow us to proceed thus without using his utmost endeavors to put a stop to it; but with a few exceptions we have worked on unmolested; these exceptions seem to have been every time this Regt. has been at work as we have been shelled more than any other Regt. but we have [2] been extremely fortunate thus far not loosing even a man. We finished all our fortifications yesterday and tonight at 12 was the hour assigned by Gen. McClellan for the ball to open; but the Rebels saved us the trouble by evacuating the place last night leaving everything behind. It has been surmised of late that this might possibly be their excuse after finding it utterly hopeless to oppose us. They have probably been preparing for this for two or three days past and in order to keep up appearance they commenced a heavy canonading early yesterday morning, and continued it till past midnight last night. Yesterday they paid their respects to the white [light]; shells bursting in every direction all day and last night this Division received more than its share. During the evening we received their entire attention; several shells burst in the immediate vicinity of Gen. Martindales quarters; several came into our camp doing no damage however more than tearing some tents. Some of us had very narrow escapes I might include myself as one among the number; I [was struck] [3] by a piece of shell but its force being spent it did no more harm however than to cause me to meet Mother earth in no gentle manner. This morning at one oclock we fired upon the enemy from battery No 1. This battery kept up its fire some three hours but received no answer, this we thought a little singular as they were so liberal with their shot during the earlier part of the night. This silence was explained shortly after light by two men coming over [into] the 22nd Mass. Regt. they being on picket and reported the enemy as retreating. this Regt. immediately moved up and took possession of their works and hoisted the Stars and Stripes. thus you see Massachusetts has the honor of firing the first gun when we came here and also of being the first to hoist the old flag. From appearances the Rebels left in somewhat of a hurry not having time to spike all their guns; they also left almost everything. some Regts. left knapsacks; clothing, arms and all; In Gen. McGruders quarters were found his papers, side arms quite a little sum of silver [4] and any quantity of Confederate shin plasters; innumerable trophies were [inserted: found] in the shape of clothing, knives pistols and other arms; among other things was a general order from McGruder calling on his troops to stand firm and drive the invaders from the Penisula. How well they have obeyed this order you can judge; some prisoners were captured this morn among them is Gen. Robt. Lee. Where the enemy will make his next stand it is difficult to judge; perhaps at Williamsburg some twenty miles back; but I very much doubt if they stop this side of Richmond. I hope Gen. Banks will be able to intefere in their retreat; but it makes no difference where they stand they will be defeated even if we are obliged to go to the [Gulf]. We found several torpedoes or infirnal machines strewn all about their works; one exploded wounding seven men. Undoubtedly some people will find fault with Gen. McClelan for not taking their whole force prisoners; also [5] there will be those who will say it is a barren victory; but for all this it is one of the greatest achievements of the war not only in the loss the enemy will sustain in arms and munitions [war] but in its moral effect upon the people and soldiers of the Confederate States. I very well know what the effect will be upon their army; after the successive defeats they have received; the fall of New Orleans; [inserted: and] the retreat of Beauregard it will certainly tend to demoralize and dishearten them, As to the people they must begin to see the utter hopelessness of their cause the utter folly of further resisting our army. The Government at Richmond has been tumbling for some time and from extract from [their] papers I see they are prepared to leave at a moments warning; that warning has reached them and if they do not heed it soon it will be too late. We are pursuing the ending rapidly; several Divisions are already on the march; we shall go tomorrow. The weather has been very warm for some days as warm as [it is] at home in summer. Your last has just been Recd, also the papers; Have seen nothing of Dr. W. Charles