July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
A great war-date Union Surgeon's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Asst. Surgeon William F. King, 124th Indiana Vols., "In the field near Chickamauga Mt., Oct. 17, 1864" concerning Schofield's 23rd Army Corps movements during the campaign that began with the battle of Altoona were Union General Corse refused to surrender to French's Confederates prompting Sherman to send the beleaguered Corse the message: "hold fast. We are coming." Corse did, but not after losing part of his nose and ear in the attack, in part: "…we are now encamped 12 miles from Resaca…after chasing the rebel army from Atlanta. We have had a lively campaign so far…we started from Decatur on the 5th of this month…we stayed at Altoona. We were sent with our Brigade to reinforce the garrison at Altoona…the fight was one of the brightest pages in the history of this war. The garrison lost 33 per cent of the whole number. They killed and wounded more than their whole number. We had to take in the wounded and dead rebs for several days after the fight. The rebs have left the rail road here and…have gone south…we chased passed up the same road…that we went down five months ago…our rail road has been cut up so often lately that I am not surprised that I don't get any news…we have been chasing them for two weeks. We caught up with a part of them near Rome and our corps was sent after them. We captured two cannon & a lot of butternuts. I dressed the wounds of four that were badly wounded. We had about thirty prisoners…there was only a brigade that had been left to watch our army…we did not get home to vote. It was a great disappointment, but cant be helped…". Also included in the original stamped transmittal cover. Letters from the Altoona Campaign are extremely rare and seldom appear in the marketplace! VG.
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