Lydston, William (c. 1813-1881) to Mr. Forbes

McDougal General Hospital , U.S. Army
Fort Schuyler, New York Harbor
October 12, 1864

Mr. Forbes
Dear Sir,
I am requested by H.P. Brothers who is particularly interested in you as a friend to write you a line accompanying this picture which I have Drawn to Order for you as I was present on that night in the Scene of Action of siege of Petersburg and give you some descriptions of the same. I had been quite sick some days since and next day after this happened reported to the hospital at City Point, Virginia, and in one more day an Order came to transfer so many from each ward to hospitals in the north, hence I find myself here. From the sketch I drew before I left camp, I finished this picture there in the hospital for you and you can rely upon the correctness of the delineation as it is my regular business and civil life. I find a great many subjects to draw in the Army worthy of much interest and in fact more than I can find time and convenience to under-take. On the 27th of September about 9 p.m. sharp musketry was heard on the extreme left near Weldon Railroad. We occupied the right of the line on the northwest of Petersburg, our Division Head Quarters were in the very house where Baldy Smith was shelled out. The work scene is in the rear of this house, the old entrenchments not used now from which I take the view. These figures are supposed to be some of our band as we looked upon the busy work - the firing became more and more animated on the left between the lines of pickets, soon cannons opened and a few shells could be seen by us, these shells bursting are very brilliant and I cannot show its brilliancy. But you must imagined that accompanied with a sound resembling thunder when it strikes near you. Soon the engagement became more and more general along the whole line in front of Petersburg and the cannonading, musketry and shelling lasted a full hour and a half. These shells were above, below all around and about us, but these are familiar scenes and one can trace at night the course of the shell in the air as the lighted fuse leaves a long trail in its course, you see them coming and going, but know not how they are timed, or whereabout they are intended to explode (terrible missiles!). The result of all this was detrimental to the Rebs. The papers can better inform you than myself at present. All this is the continuous work of laying siege to a place, there is a fort on the extreme right called Fort Clifton, she sends a ball into Petersburg and knocked down a steeple, there is a big Mortar out of all range which throws a large shell at least a 100 pounds, this makes a high circle through the air and takes a long range exploding finally in Petersburg. At one time several shells were seen traveling towards General Meade's Head Quarters and thus briefly and abruptly I am forced to close my beggared description trusting you will appreciate his brothers gift from most respectfully yours.

William Lydston
Of the band