Clapp, George (fl. 1839-1892) to parents
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC09355.003 Author/Creator: Clapp, George (fl. 1839-1892) Place Written: White Oak Church, Virginia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 22 May 1863 Pagination: 4 p. : envelope ; 20.3 x 12.6 cm. Order a Copy
Received their letter last night. "It is hot enough to roast a nigger alive out here." Everyone has sat down under a row of pine or cedar trees for shade or has created improvised shade with tree branches. It looks "like the town hall when they have it trimmed for a festival." Will use an undershirt as a shirt for now to cope with the heat. Heavy work in this heat is "no fun." Assumes they think Hooker was beaten "worse than Burnside," but "the corps was not whipped in the least." Sedgwick fought "nobly," and the 6th corps did the best of the entire army. The retreat after the battle "surpassed the retreat made by McClellan when he was on the Peninsula." Insists his corps was never defeated. "Had [Sedgwick] had as much to do with as Hooker in proportion the numbers on both sides he should now be down to the Gulf of Mexico." 6th corps was weakened "very much" since the battle; many two-year and nine-month men have gone home. There are rumors that his corps is to be relieved by another corps currently in Washington D.C within the month. If so, he would return to garrison duty in the city. Sorry to hear that Aunt [Electa] "thought we was whipped." Disagrees, and asserts that even if they were beaten, the Union army is still greatly numerically superior. Does not like that the officers have access to whisky, claims it has an "evil effect" on them. Many of them get drunk often.
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