Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A great war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. William W. Fish, Co. C, 11th New Hampshire Vols., "Campbell Hospital, Washington, Dec. 26, 1862", in small part: "…I was shocked to hear of John's death. Mr. Riddle was…[to] Fredericksburg but was unable to obtain the body…we had a good dinner yesterday. The patients who were able marched to the dinning hall…the table was set with various luxuries…the hall was tastefully ornamented by flags, green boughs…the hall was decorated by some of the ladies of Washington…after dinner…a letter was read by Parson Brownlow…Dec. 27…concerning Alex. Hutchinson. He was wounded slightly in the head…I saw him after the battle…Charley was only slightly wounded in the side…Enoch Farnham was wounded as we were going over a high board fence. Here is were I was wounded. We lay on the ground for a few hours just as close as we could get our faces to the ground to escape the storm of bullets which were flying over us. It seems almost a miracle…we escaped…the fence front of us was riddled with holes . I went and got a board on which we placed Mr. farnham and I placed two or three blankets over him. we laid [t]here till dusk when I left the field as our Regt was passing and informed the Captain and Gilland…I went back and showed them where he [Farnham] lay. Shortly after we got there [and] as we were getting him on to the blanket…the rebus made a charge on one of our Co's. which had not left the field…they were but a few rods in front of us. We had to hug…the ground to escape the bullets, shells [and] double quick[ed], but we met two obstacles in the shape of two high fences…behind the last one the men lay thick. It was here that I was wounded a shell burst a few feet and sent…a rifle against my heel. It's only slightly bruised but caused my ankles to swell…our surgeon…said…it would take sometime to get well…I am in…Campbell Hospital…Gill Smith…came out without a scratch. We lost 25 in our Co. in killed, wounded and missing. There was one, Henry C. Patrick killed and one has since died, Enoch T. Farnum. The loss in the Regt…was 15 killed, 50 missing and 153 wounded…I will send you these four little pictures for the boys that I picked up in Fredericksburg and this Confederate script…". VG.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.