SIXTY-SECOND REGIMENT, N. Y. V.—(ANDERSON ZOUAVES).

Camp Seven Miles from Richmond, May 26. 

Position of the Regiment at Williamsburg—Results of the Battle—Monkey Jack—A Flag of Truce—Little Mac’s Answer. 

As it has been some time since I wrote, I thought I would let you know something of about the battle of Williamsburg. On the 5th of this month we marched about twelve miles, not thinking about fighting, by when we got to where the artillery was shelling the rebels, we waited about ten minutes, when our brigade was sent into the fight. The Fifty-fifth being on the right of the brigade, had the advance. The Ninety-eighth Pennsylvania was in a hot place. Our regiment was sent to take the place of the Fifty-fifth, who had retired from the field. It was about half-past two o’clock when we relieved them, and we kept up firing above two hours, when we got the order to cease, the guns being all silenced in Fort Magruder and their other bastions. We drove them clear beyond their forts.

The men showed great coolness in the fight. They cheered at the orders given. There were about four hundred rebels taken prisoners, including the killed and wounded. The loss of our regiment was three killed and five wounded(1). It makes persons feel queer to hear grape and shell flying around their heads; but we must get use to it, for it is all for the Union, and we can’t die but once. The rebels have been tearing up the railroad track. There was a skirmish with them yesterday, and they had to “skedaddle”. There were some of them taken prisoners and some killed, I did not learn how many—quite conceivable.

Much n---- was caused in camp, this afternoon, by a little negro climbing trees and cutting up didoes(2). He beats Barnum’s “What Is It”.

There was a flag of truce sent in today. General McClellan sent it back, and told them that he would probably have his supper in Richmond tomorrow night. As the mail is closing I must do the same. 

Yours respectfully,

R. F. B., Co. A. 

Letter to the Sunday Mercury, June 1, 1862.  

J Tierney notes: The above letter was written by Sergeant Robert F. Beasley of Company “A” of the Anderson Zouaves on May 26, 1862 and published in the New York Sunday Mercury on June 1, 1862. This was the third and final letter written by Beasley to the Sunday Mercury, at least under his own name, with the other two appearing in the issues of March 9 and March 23, 1862.

Despite ceasing his correspondence with the Sunday Mercury Beasley remained with the regiment until his mortal wounding at the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. Beasley died of his wounds four days later at Fredericksburg, VA. on May 9, 1864.

Letter Notes

1. Available records only account for four wounded members of the regiment at the Battle of Williamsburg. The Historical Data Systems Database only records three wounded members of the regiment, yet both the letter above and another, by William P. Allcot, claim that the regiment had three killed and five wounded at the battle of Williamsburg. See Anderson Zouave, Vol. 2, No. 5, June 2007, for an up to date casualty analysis of the Battle of Williamsburg.