July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
War-date Union officer’s Autograph Letter Signed by Captain Henry A Wiley, Company B, 104th New York Infantry, 4pp. octavo, pencil, Near Fredericksburg, April 30, 1863, and reads in part: “...You have no doubt heard before this that the Army of the Potomac have broken up their winter quarters and advanced to meet the enemy....Gen. Wadsworth Division in the advance and ours following closely....Gen. Wadsworth with part of his Division advanced to near the river during the night or early in the morning. The Pontoons were on hand, the rebel picket annoyed the men that were laying the pontoon so that it became necessary to go over in some of the boats and dislodge them. I am told that Gen. Wadsworth led his men across swimming his horse and was the first to land on the other side. He lost 14 men in going across the boats. After reaching the other side some rebels undertook to run from an old house and the Gen. after them. Two of the bridges are laid where we crossed before about 1 1/2 miles below the city, two more are laid one mile further down the river and we are now lying within 20 rods of it, but have not yet crossed. Wadsworth’s Division is all that been crossed on this bridge...I am not able to say whether we should cross and give them a regular battle at this point or whether it is only a faint to draw the enemy while Stoneman with all the cavalry and Seigel Corps cross up the river and get in the rear. Yesterday we could see a large force of rebels coming from down the river and going up the right to the fortifications on the heights. I should think they must have been more than 25,000 of them juding from the time that they were crossing they had evidently gone down the river several days before and been expecting us to cross there...All the boys are well, we number only 27 muskets in my company and only 251 in the Regiment...We hope and expect that we shall be successful and whip them this time...Gen. Wadsworth took 102 Rebels out of the rifle pits after he crossed, their being two officers among them. I saw and conversed with them. They were the most intelligent set of prisoners that I have ever seen. They belong to the 13 Georgia and 6 Louisiana...” Very good condition.
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