Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A war-date Union officer's battle letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Capt. Henry A. Wiley, Co. B, 104th New York Vols., "Head quarters 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 2nd Division, 12th Army Corps near Sharpsburg, MD, Oct. 1, 1862", in part: "…Peter Fuller [KIA Gettysburg] said the truth when he said that only five of my own company remained and come off of the field with me. Men in whom I had thought better things [of] either fell out and did not go into the battle or else run like skunks. I know who they are and among them was Frank, George…Mack went to help off a wounded man [all this is inked out]…it took a man of pretty strong nerve to stand there when bullets flew around like hailstones & shells bursting within a few feet of you and round or solid shot striking within a few feet of you…persons may say that they have no fear…are either fools orI can not have much confidence in them. I had some fear but nothing would have made me turn and run…I stood to the last and am proud of the noble five who stayed and come off with me…their names were Peter Fuller [KIA Gettysburg], John H. Scott [WIA Petersburg, June 18, 64], Jackson McFail [POW Weldon Railroad, Va., Aug. 19, 64], Alonzo Mix [KIA Gettysburg] & Corp. James Cullen [WIA Gettysburg & POW Weldon Railroad]…the ones that…[say] they would not run are the first to do it. You can form no idea how it sounds to hear a shell coming towards you…you can hear a shell or solid shot in time to lay down before it reaches you. I had them go past me when if we had been standing up it would have hit some of us…ours is the 1st Brigade in Rickett's division, Hookers Corps until he was wounded. Gen. Meade now has command of his corps…Rickett's division is composed of Duryee, Hartsuff, Tower & Carrolls Brigades…and the Bucktail rifles. The Bucktails gave us great credit at South Mountain for relieving them and they say that they [would] rather have us…support them than any others…we arrived at South Mountain just in time…as the rebels had just come up with reinforcements, but hearing us cheer they broke and run. The prisoners that we took at the Mountain said that was the first time that their brigade ever run…we do not get the credit we are entitled to in the news papers…we have the consolation [at Antietam]…that we opened the battle and held the field against a force much larger than our own for over four hours…this part of the field…the right of the line was lost and won no less than five times during the day. It seemed to be the hardest contested part of the field. The rebels being determined to hold the cornfield and our forces being equally determined that they would hold it. Gen. McClellan was here in person…in the afternoon. He commanded the whole assisted by Hooker & Franklin on the right and Burnside on the left. On a space as large as our lot…more than 1000 dead rebels lay the next morning. Men lay in perfect [?] where ever they had a line of battle. We seemed to kill most every man that was hit. Our division were in close action…not more than 30 rods from the rebels…think of it. Two lines of men drawn up within 30 rods…and then shoot with rifles at one another. Hartsuff was on the right and Tower on the left. Tower's brigade broke and run and we were flanked and had to retire at once…we soon reformed again and held our groin. We had to retire three times but rallied…every time so as to hold our position…[we] went on the field this side of Sharpsburg and Burnside's whole fighting was [on] the other side of there…Capt. [Henry G.] Tuthill [WIA Gettysburg] was only wounded [in the hand losing three fingers], Capt. Kelly from Troy was killed. There was 12 killed and 68 wounded in the erg…the lieut. col. [R. Wells Kenyon] has resigned and Col. [John] Rorback [discharged for disability, 10/21/62] has got leave of absence for 20 days after which he will be examined…for discharge…". VG
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