September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
War-date Union soldier's Autograph Letter Signed by Henry A. Wiley, 6pp. folio, Camp 104 Regiment, NY S Vols, McClouds Mills, Virginia, April 17, 1862, and reads in part: "...The land around about us seems to have been completely worn out. I can look over a good many thousand acres and cannot discover the least sign of a fence...The most of the men have gone into the rebel army or have gone north...Near our camp lives a family where we go some times to get a warm meal and there is a woman there a visiting who is a regular secessionist. She says that she has three brothers in the Confederate Army. She has just learned that one of them has been captured in Western Virginia. He belonged to the Ashby Cavalry that was surprised and taken in a church while eating their breakfast at Woodstock Va....Since the passage of the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia there has a good many slaves run away from their masters. Twelve went last night from one man who lived within a few rods of our camp. The house is occupied as the head quarters of Gen. Duryea and when he got up this morning he had to send over to camp and get his servant to come and cook their breakfast for them....Mr. Cutter that was out home with me recruiting he was discharged on account of insanity. He had been subject to such spells during his whole life...It is expected that Yorktown will be a desperate battle, McClellan's army is considered to be one of the most splendid bodies of troops ever together on this continent. If he should fail then it would be the total rumination of himself and a great portion of the troops...our Brigadier is a fighting man and will have a hand in before long. He was formerly Col. of the New York 7th and had command of them last spring when they were called to Washington. The regiment was then called the 'Bloody Seventh.'...I saw the house where poor Ellsworth was shot, it is used for a hospital by our men..." More. Fine condition.
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