[*D321 LTR - RE: Country First Negroes Afterward*] BEFORE PETERSBURG, VA., SEPT. 4TH, 1864: 4 pgs. in ink, with cover, partial Wash., D.C. C.D.S., no stamp, from Alick Hayward, 24th Mass.: "came in from picket and have got to go on fatigue tomorrow morning at 5 and the next morning at 4 on picket... if I am not disgusted with the Potomac Army then don't know who is. I don't care which of the two candidates that we have got up for President is elected as I want this bloody affair settled. COUNTRY FIRST AND NEGROES AFTERWARDS IS WHAT I SAY! I don't want any man, women, or child to say anything to me about how this war is carried on for I have seen enough within the last 2 months to satisfy me. We have got some Genls. in this army that are not worth the powder and shot that it would take to put them out of existance. I think that LINCOLN will be the next President but he wouldn't if the army was allowed to vote. Think of me writing here and every once in a while having a bullet come and knocking into a tree within a few feet of me. I was making out pay rolls this evening before I went on picket and the first thing that I knew a shell burst over my head and one piece of that wounded a sergt. in the 10th Conn. and another piece came down within 8 or 10 feet of me. The next thing that came along was one of these little musket balls and it struck within a few feet of me." Very fine letter . . . . . . . . . . Alick Hayward 24th Mass Miss. Lizzie. H Wilkins. Amherst, N. H. [*D321 AE889*] Before Petersburg Va. Sept 4th 1864 My dear L. & A. I must write to both of you at once again this time as I havent got but a very short time to write I came in from Pickut this morning [and] at 4 oclock and have got to go on Fatigue to morrow morning at 5- and the next morning at 4 we shall be on picket again and [I] if I am not disgustd with this Potomac army then I don't know who is. I dont care which of the two candidates that we have got up then and not until then did your Uncle think that it was time for him to move. I am afraid that you will not think this a very interesting letter. but I have got Pay Rolls Ordinance and Monthly Returns on the brain and I have got it bad and there is any mistake about it. I will enclose a photograph of Quint Wilson and if you dont phronouce him the best look fellow that I ever sent you then I shall say you arnt good judges. At the time that these picture was taken he was Sergt Mason & is a splendid fellow and his looks go to show as much, I must close but will write again soon, for I dont think this is much of a letter. [*Do please excuse this if I only felt like it I could give you the most interesting letter that I ever wrote. but as it is I cant write a thing that I want to. Write soon with much love, Alick,*] for President is elected as I want this bloody affair settled Country first and nigro after words. is what I say now. I dont want any man women or child to say any thing to me about how This was is carried on for I have seen enough within the last two months to satisfy me. We have got some Genls in this Army that are not worth the Powder and shot that it would take to fight them out of existence. I think that Lincoln will be the next President but he wouldnt if the Army was alowed to vote. These news paper correspondents put a pretty bright side on to all of their reports but they dont tell the trouth more then once in a thousand times Think of me writing from and evry once in a while hearing a bullet come and nocking into a tree within a few feet of me. I was making out Pay Rolls the evening before on picket the last time and the first thing that I knew a shell burst over my head and one piece of the wounded a Sergt in the 10th Conn and another piece came down within 8 or 10 feet of me. I last am writing for they say that these isnt but one shot that strikes in a place, and the next thing that came along was one of these little musket balls and struck into the bank within a few feet of me. 292 LINE OFFICERS IN MASSACHUSETTS REGIMENTS. Hastings, Thomas J. Second Lieutenant, 15th Mass. Infantry, Mar. 15, 1863. First Lieutenant, Aug. 30, 1863. Captain, July 14, 1864; not mustered. Mustered out, Mar. 11, 1865 as First Lieutenant. Hatch, Augustus. Second Lieutenant, 35th Mass. Infantry, Sept. 23, 1862. First Lieutenant, Feb. 11, 1863. Captain, Sept. 6, 1864. Discharged (disability), Jan. 11, 1865. Hatch, Benjamin F. Second Lieutenant, 47th Infantry, M. V. M., in service of the U. S., Sept. 22, 1862. Mustered out, Sept. 1, 1863. Hatch, George M. Second Lieutenant, 7th Mass. Infantry, Feb. 2, 1863. Mustered out, June 27, 1864. Hatch, William A. Second Lieutenant, 5th Mass. Cavalry, Sept. 27, 1864. Mustered out, Oct. 31, 1865. Hatch, William D. Second Lieutenant, 22d Mass. Infantry, June 15, 1862. First Lieutenant, Sept. 26, 1862. Captain, Jan. 6, 1863. Resigned, Feb. 19, 1864. Hatch, Winsor. Second Lieutenant, 5th Mass. Cavalry, Jan 1, 1864. Discharged (disability), Dec. 3, 1864. Hathaway, Charles B. Second Lieutenant, 7th Mass. Infantry, May 4, 1863. Mustered out, June 27, 1864. Hathaway, Leonard. Second Lieutenant, 7th Mass. Infantry, Nov. 21, 1862. First Lieutenant, Jan. 17, 1863. Mustered out, June 27, 1864. Hathaway, William B. Second Lieutenant, 29th Mass. Infantry, Sept. 11, 1861. Resigned, Dec. 6, 1862. Haviland, Thomas Philip. First Lieutenant, Adjutant, 12th Mass. Infantry, June 26, 1861. Mustered out, Mar. 8, 1863. Major, Additional Paymaster, U. S. Volunteers, Feb. 23, 1864. See U. S. Army. Hawes, Edwin A. First Lieutenant, Regimental Quartermaster, 2d Mass. Infantry, May 24, 1864. Mustered out, July 5, 1865. Hawes, John Alexander. Captain, 3d Infantry, M. V. M., in service of the U. S., Sept. 18, 1862. Mustered out, June 27, 1863. Died at Fairhaven, Mass., Mar. 10, 1883. Hawes, Marcus Morton. First Lieutenant, Regimental Quartermaster, 2d Mass. Infantry, May 28, 1861. Captain, Assistant Quartermaster, U. S. Volunteers, July 17, 1862. See U. S. Army. Hawes, Massena B. Second Lieutenant, 35th Mass. Infantry, Feb. 11, 1863. Killed accidentally at Big Black River, Miss, July 7, 1863. Hawkes, Timothy. Second Lieutenant, 17th Mass. Infantry, Mar. 24, 1865. First Lieutenant, June 1, 1865; not mustered. Mustered out, July 11, 1865, as Second Lieutenant. Hawley, Charles P. Second Lieutenant, 42d Infantry, M. V. M., in service of the U. S., July 18, 1864. Mustered out, Nov. 11, 1864. Hay, Edward S. Second Lieutenant, 26th Mass. Infantry, Nov. 15, 1864. First Lieutenant, Dec. 11, 1864. Mustered out, June 29, 1865. Hayden, Frank B. Second Lieutenant, 7th Mass. Infantry, Nov. 7, 1861. Resigned, June 16, 1862. Hayden, Frank W. Second Lieutenant, 1st Mass. Cavalry, Sept. 14, 1862. Mustered out, Oct. 24, 1864. Second Lieutenant, 1st Battalion Frontier Cavalry Mass. Volunteers or 26th N. Y. Cavalry, Dec. 28, 1864. First Lieutenant, Mar. 7, 1865. Mustered out, July 7, 1865. Hayden, Joseph L. Captain, 37th Mass. Infantry, Aug. 27, 1862. Discharged (disability), Sept 22, 1864. Hayden, Lester M. First Lieutenant, 31st Mass. Infantry, Feb. 20, 1862. Captain, Apr. 22, 1864. Mustered out, Nov. 18, 1864. Hayden, William H. Second Lieutenant, 1st Mass. Heavy Artillery, Nov. 24, 1863. Mustered out, Oct. 20, 1865. Hayes, Charles H. Second Lieutenant, 1st Mass. Heavy Artillery, Dec. 1, 1863. First Lieutenant, Oct. 6, 1864. Captain, Jan. 1, 1865. Major, Apr. 1, 1865; not mustered. Mustered out, Aug. 16, 1865, as Captain. Hayes, Elias W. First Lieutenant, 1st Mass. Heavy Artillery, Nov. 3, 1862. Resigned, Feb. 13, 1863. Hayes, Frank. Second Lieutenant, 11th Mass. Infantry, June 13, 1861. Resigned, Sept. 6, 1861. Hayes, Martin. Second Lieutenant, 50th Infantry, M. V. M., in service of the U. S., Sept. 30, 1862. Mustered out, Aug. 24, 1863. Died at Springfield. Haynes, Daniel J. Second Lieutenant, 22d Mass. Infantry, Sept. 6, 1862. Died, Oct. 20, 1862. Haynes, Elias E. Second Lieutenant, 26th Mass. Infantry, Nov. 12, 1862. Resigned, Apr. 21, 1865. Hayward, Alexander M. Second Lieutenant, 24th Mass. Infantry, Jan. 4, 1864. First Lieutenant, June 11, 1864. Captain, Sept. 24, 1864. Resigned (disability), May 15, 1865. Hayward, Asa E. Second Lieutenant, 21st Mass. Infantry, Sept. 2, 1862. First Lieutenant, Adjutant, Dec. 18, 1862. Resigned, May 14, 1863. Transcribed and reviewed by contributors participating in the By The People project at crowd.loc.gov.