September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
War-date Union soldier's Autograph Letter Signed by Benjamin B. Hamilton, Chaplain for the 61st Illinois Infantry, 4pp. quarto, Bolivar, Tennessee, January 8, 1863, and reads in part: "...A letter from the United States!...The first news which I have had from home for something like 18 days. Our rail road communication has been cut off ever since the 19th of Decr. and has only been resumed at the Memphis end of the route, during this week and today no trains have passed either way...we have performed a march of some 17 miles returning to Jackson, I rode part of the time, let one of the boys who was nearly ready to drop ride the rest of the way. I carried a gun nearly all day for John Wilson of Manchester, son of James Wilson, who had only been a little while out of the hospital...Our situation even now is peculiarly unpleasant a large proportion of our boys are some forty miles from here guarding Rail Road towards Columbus. Our only connection with the outside world is by way of Memphis and yesterday the cars ran off the track and stopped travel in that direction. We have been on half rations for about two weeks...Our boys went out jay hawking and pigs, geese & chickens have been quite plenty in camp...I preached at the Post Hospital last Sunday for Ed Kingsbury who is the Post Chaplain here. He and I are the only chaplains at this point and both Baptists - our Post Commander Gen. Brayman of Springfield, Ills is also a Baptist. What is more I preached in the Baptist meeting house in Bolivar - now used as a Hospital by our convalescent sick - but while there are quite a number of Baptists here among the citizens I have as yet made no acquaintance with any of them. I have not slept a single night in house since the second night after I left home...Dr. Geo. H. Knapp assistant Surgeon here has a leave of absence from the Secretary of War, but he says he will not go until he gets his pay - the Regiment is now some six months behind with its pay and I have some two months pay due me...There was a big fight after I left Jackson about thirty miles east of there between Forrest's mounted men and Genl. Sullivan which resulted in the capture of about six hundred rebels, killing and wounding some three hundred more, nine pieces of artillery, 500 horses and all their baggage. It was Forrest's party that took Col. Fry at Trenton and tore up the Rail Road the same with which we had the skirmish on the morning of the 19th and gave such a demonstration of the range of our Austrian Rifles. On the whole we incline to think Forrest's trip aside form the mischief he did on the Rail Road did not prove a paying concern, he must have lost some 1200 men in the round. Our news from Vicksburg is that heavy fighting has been done but the place is not ours yet. I think now that the rivers have risen the gun boats will have a chance to play and then good bye secesh along the rivers. Before the first of May we shall have this Department pretty well cleared out and the river open, indeed I look for the latter within twenty days..." Fine condition.
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