September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
Union soldier's Autograph Letter Signed "James C. McKernan" who enlisted into "F" Co. PA 81st Infantry on 10/1/1861 as 2nd Lieutenant, was captured at Malvern Hill, exchanged 8/27/1862 for John H Norwood 42nd TN, court marshaled for desertion, cashiered on 4/25/1864. Letter is datelined, Fair Oaks Va., June 14, 1862 4pp. octavo,, and reads in part: "...we had a grand time of it when we heard the battle was going on a Saturday. We were ordered to pack up and started for the fight but the bridge that we built across the Chickahominy was overflowed and we had to march three miles out of the way and we did not get up till 9 o'clock that night so we laid down to sleep and when I woke up the next morning there was a dead man right beside me and I tell you it made me feel very queer but that was nothing to what we seen during the day, men with half of their faces taken off. Well we went into the woods and got in a line of battle and our comp. was thrown into a lot of fallen trees and after a while we saw some men coming over to us with a white flag. We took aim at them and they told us not to shoot and dropped down in the bushes. Just after that they commenced to fire on our right when after a while we go the order to stop firing. The Colonel had challenged them and they said they belonged to the 69th Penna. Vols and just at that they commenced firing again and the Col. fell well on the left. The rebels were trying to surround us and the Capt. jumped up on a stump and shot the rebel Col. off his horse. We then retreated out of the woods and picked up our dead Col. and got possession of the railroad where our Capt. and 1st Lieut. was shot and 6 of our men. Well I tell you there is music in the bullets whistling about your head but I don't care for any more. Well last Tuesday they tried to drive in our pickets. Our Regt. was sent out to reinforce them and we went into the woods and the way the shells busted over our heads was a caution to rats though they did not happen to strike any of our men. Well we drove their pickets back and stayed there two days and nights when we come out again we were sent on picket another place where we had it pretty hot for a time but everything passed off right till we got relieved. Gen. McClellan was reviewing us yesterday and he asked Gen. Sumner what Regt. it was and Sumner told him that it was the best Regt. in the service could run faster jump higher drink more whiskey work harder kill more rebels than all creation..." Very good condition.
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