Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A great war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 2pp. large folio, written by Pvt. William W. Fish, Co. C, 11th New Hampshire Vols., "Jackson, Miss., July 18, 1863", in small part: "I now sit down to pen you a few lines on this sheet of paper that came out of Jackson…Jackson is ours. Johnson evacuated [Jackson the] night before last. We were sent out again…to skirmish last Thursday morning…we laid in the edge of the woods…had three wounded. Our forces attempted to charge the enemies works on that day. We formed in line with fixed bayonets ready to advance…the right advanced almost to the rebus works and had a sharp engagement. The batteries opened hot and heavy but our men fell back. Those that were wounded were wounded very badly. The left did not advance as the right did not succeed in their attempt. Friday morning…we went into the pits as skirmishers…the order came for us to advance out of the pits which we did calmly and advanced across the open field with rifles all ready to discharge. We met with no opposition and kept on into the woods…[on] to another field across which we [?] up over the works and found all deserted. The 11th [N. H.] and the 35th Mass. were the first to enter the city. The rebus set fire to a lot of commissaries stores and a whole square of buildings which were on fire as we entered. We saw the conflagration as we were in the pits. They also left a great quantity of stores…we had a better night to get stuff here than we did at Fredericksburg as we were one of the first troops to enter the city. We found plenty of tobacco…the rebus left at 12 the night before. They left their largest siege gun in the works…loaded and not spiked…it is a large rifled one. They also left a lot of gunpowder, grape and canister and shell, picks, shovels, old rifles etc. We also picked up a lot of their deserters who had managed to get left behind. The[se] men were watched very close by the officers, but some happened to get away. The Mississippi regt were guarded closely and hand cuffed and kept under arrest by the rebus as there was such a mutiny among them…the enemy were very strongly fortified…pits running at right angles…for the men to lay inane covered ones with boards and dirt to protect them from our shells and bullets…some of the houses were splendidly furnished…we would go and help our selves to what we want[ed]. play on the pianos. There was one house on the outskirts where we…which had been occupied by Col. Hordman of the Rebel army which the ransacked. There was two costly pianos which must have cost $500 each…splendid libraries and everything else…which the Negroes by threat revealed…on our march…we passed…the plantain of Jeff Davis and his brother Joe [who commanded a brigade in Pickett's Charge]. The buildings were on fire. We were not near enough to Jeff Davis' to see the building but could see the light of burning buildings…". VG
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