July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
War-date Union soldier’s Autograph Letter Signed by C.P. Goodrich, 1st Wisconsin Cavalry, 4pp. quarto, pencil, Barnsville, Missouri, December 30, 1862, and reads in part: “...It is now the season of the holidays...I will endeavor to give you some idea of how I spent it, which by the way was not entirely destitute of pleasure. Eleven of us were on picket at our late camp near Lesterville. We were on one of the roads leading to camp about a mile out. Three men were to be on guard at a time, two mounted and stationed out about 30 rods from the ‘post’ and one at the ‘post.’ These were relieved every two hours...At night we were to have no fires, no sleep, and for the sergeants but very little rest. Four of us Oakland boys, Bill Bower, Alex Mc, Eli Horton & myself managed to get on the same post. We went out prepared to have a little something extra for a Christmas dinner. Alex and Horton bought two cans of oysters, we got some potatoes (a rarity) took out some flour & got a woman to bake us some biscuits so that notwithstanding we were soldiers in the enemy’s country out doors on picket we had almost a glorious Christmas...yesterday a train of 10 wagons and a small escort were captured near Van Buren some 20 miles from here...It is said that two companies of our reg had a fight with the same secesh yesterday but they found them too strong & our men retreated....” Very good condition.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.