Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Pvt. William Seely, Co. B, 47th Illinois Vols. "Otterville, Mo., Jan. 24, 1862, in part: "…we had rather an unpleasant trip from Jefferson City to this place. We came by the R. R. in common box cars without fire…it was all we could do to keep warm…we left the cars which was opposite the camp of the Mo. 7th and Iowa 6th…we marched about 1/2 mile, stacked arms took off our knapsacks and looked for firewood. We were not long in finding a fence and we took from it a sufficient quantity of rails to make fires…of the manner in which funerals are conducted in the army first is an escort of 8 men commanded by a corporal at the funeral of a private and 12 men commanded by a corporal when the deceased is a corporal. Next six men are chosen from the rank of deceased as pall bearers when the corpse is put in the hearse (one of the army's four horse wagons). The band take their stations in front, playing an appropriate air…the escort with arms reversed walking by the side of the wagon afterward the company with the officers who on such occasions do not take command in the way the procession marches to the cemetery. After the corpse is buried the escort fires three rounds with blank cartridges over the grave after which all return to camp. It is a solemn and impressive scene…". VG
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