American Historical Ephemera & Early Photography Online

Autograph letter signed from Sergeant John L. Smith to his wife. "Before Petersburg Va." 27 March 1865. 4pp+, 5 x 8 in. (creasing at folds, overall fine condition). A lengthy, detailed description of the Battle of Fort Stedman from an educated and articulate soldier of the 35th Massachusetts Infantry.

Written just two days after the battle, Smith's letter provides an overview of the fortification as well as battle details from this massive Confederate attack. It reads, in small part: "...the enemy had amassed a large force at the front of Ft. Stedman during the night...Our pickets had not been on the lookout as they should have been and the enemy succeeded in capturing two of the posts without making any noise whatever to be heard by the rest of the pickets. The Rebs then marched through the gap and reached our main line without giving those in the fort and other works any notice whatever o the approach...bayoneted some of our men in their tents surprising the whole garrison and killing or taking prisoners...the third Div. of our corps that lays in the rear and our reserve artillery were hurried to the scene on the double quick. The fighting by this time was pretty lively, soon the 3 Div. was formed in line and several forces of artillery got in position...the enemy were advancing...An infantry had also been formed which gave them a sudden check...the artillery poured in...canister at a fearful rate more than the Johnny's could bear...we got in all in the vicinity of 3,000 prisoners beside the killed and wounded that fell into our hands. Our loss in prisoners where few compared with theirs and in killed and wounded our loss was not as much...On the whole it was a grand affair for us, although at first it looked a little bad...."

HDS indicates that John L. Smith of Dedham, Massachusetts, was a 25-year-old ink maker when he enlisted on 8/8/1862 as a private in Co. I, Massachusetts 35th Infantry. The 35th participated in many key engagements of the war, including Antietam, Fredericksburg, Wilderness, Cold Harbor, and the Siege of Petersburg. The Battle of Fort Stedman, also known as the Battle of Hare's Hill, was fought on March 25, 1865, during the final weeks of the American Civil War. The Union Army fortification in the siege lines around Petersburg, Virginia, was attacked in a pre-dawn Confederate assault by troops led by Maj. Gen. John B. Gordon. The attack was the last serious attempt by Confederate troops to break the Siege of Petersburg. After an initial success, Gordon's men were driven back by Union troops of the IX Corps commanded by Maj. Gen. John G. Parke.