His watch is in my possession; I will, as he wished, send it to you by the first opportunity I have, and will try to send you his sword, although I am afraid it will be impossible.

During the first two weeks service of our regiment in this campaign, I was in all the engagements in which it participated, and my position on the staff of Col. Morris as aid, during that time, afforded me a good opportunity to judge of the merits and fighting qualities of our officers. And I can say, that in the very high opinion I had formed of Lieutenant Yearsley's soldierly qualities, I was not mistaken. He was as brave and true a soldier as ever lived. And since the second of this month I have been acting Regimental Quartermaster, and my duties, as such, required me to be with the supply train a good share of the time. I was not in the engagement of the sixteenth, and must therefore state the particulars concerning your son as I heard them from those who were last with him. He had been the only officer in his company for duty since the regiment was at Coal Harbor, and he went into the charge before Petersburg in command of the company. I am told he was wounded three times before he gave up. While cheering on his men he was struck by a bullet, and fell to the ground. But immediately rising he assured his men that he was not hurt much, and urged them to press forward. He was hit the second time, and the third shot struck him in the stomach, and proved to be a mortal wound. The brigade advanced to the enemy's rear works, and found they were in a place where they could not get out, and a surrender was unavailable.

A few, however, made their escape, among them Captain Maguire, and a few of his men, and it is from them that I learned the following facts: The enemy had apparently discovered that the escape of our regiment was impossible; and they put their heads over their breastworks and called on the "Yankees" to throw down their arms and come in, assuring them that they would not be hurt. Captain Maguire replied, that they would not get him while he was able to run, and he immediately started to make his escape followed by four of his men, and a shower of rebel bullets. In escaping over the field, across which the charge had been made, a few minutes before, two men passed Lieutenant Yearsley as he lay on the field; he called after them saying, "don't leave me." They took him up and carried him until they saw that his spirit had fled, when they laid him down and hastened to our lines.

The following day. First Sergeant Shaw, with a detail of men from our regiment, went out under a flag of truce and buried the body of Lieutenant Yearsley. The Sergeant assured me yesterday, that he could find the grave at any time. It is now within our lines, but I think it would be impossible for you to get permission to take it up before the first of November.

A few minutes before going into the charge the Lieutenant handed his watch to one of his company, and it has since been handed over to me. I will send it to you the first opportunity I can get. A feeling of sadness comes over me while recounting the circumstances of his death, and how much greater must be the sadness of a fond father and loving mother; a mother whom I know he loved, and whose pious counsels contained in her letters to him, I know he heeded and treasured up in his heart. When first learning of his death, it seemed to me that his young life had been taken too soon—that his career of usefulness had hardly commenced. But God knew best. I believe he has taken him to Himself, and though it was not permitted his friends to be with him in his parting moments, or to witness his cheerful deportment and christian conduct and fortitude amid the hardships of this dreadful campaign, yet I certainly think that they should not be "like those who are without hope."