10 May 1862: “when our troops first landed here they were attacked by a party of negroes and a number of us slashed up with nives and had their throats cut.”

Item description: Letter, dated 10 May 1862, from William Ray Wells, private in the 12th New York Infantry Regiment (“Onondaga Regiment”), to his family in New York. Wells makes mention of a secondhand report of an attack by “a party of negroes.”

Item citation: From folder 4 of the William Ray Wells Papers #2960-z, Southern Historical Collection, The Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Item transcription:

West Point Va, Eve,
May 10, 62

Dear Friends,

I am not indebted for a letter to any of you I believe but notwithstanding I have concluded to write you a few lines to let you know of my whereabouts. we (our division and Franklin’s) are thirty miles from Yorktown up the York river. we are encamped oposite West Point on the western shore near by the river. we came up on the steamer Louisanna. started night before last and arrived here yesterday morning. The troops are in excellent spirits and expect a brush soon. we have marching orders to move tomorrow morning. destination unknown. but expect somewhere facing the rebels. when our troops first landed here they were attacked by a party of negroes and a number of us slashed up with nives and had their throats cut. but we soon drove them back. so report is. it is very swampy and uneven ground about here. it would be very unhealthy should we have to stay here long. but I think we shall move soon. I hope so at least. but excuse me while I fall in for roll call. 8 oclock. I will resume my pen and try and finish this to you. I have just been to the Capt. and borrowed an envelope. money does not do any good here as there is nothing to get unless it is something to eat from the negro families here whose male population are all in the sesesh army. but I must close for they have commenced beating (taps) lights out. Love to all write soon

Ray.

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