On The Battle of Wauhatchie & Gettysburg Dead

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012

A great war-date Union officer's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Lieut. William H. Mickle, Co. H, 134th New York Vol., on "Headquarters Artillery, Eleventh Corps" stationery "Lookout Mountain, Tenn., Nov. 3, 1863". on the battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn. Oct 29, 1863, and eulogizing a dead friend from the battle of Gettysburg, in part: "…You will have heard of the transfer of the 11th & 12th Corps form the Army of the Potomac to the Army of the Cumberland…I wish you could see us here in Lookout Valley with the frowning peak of the mountain grinning most beautifully at us…the Rebs have a Battery on the point of the heights from which they throw nearly 100 shots per day into our camp & trains as they pass along the valley. It is jolly fun to see them throw away so much valuable ammunition without doing us any serious injury. Their shells cost them about $50.00 a piece in gold as they purchase them from England…I find nearly as much desolation through South Western Rebeldom as in Virginia. The whole south is almost entirely depopulated & what women are left (I find but few ladies) hang on the skirts of either army for a subsistence. You would be shocked at the degradation of the median class & many of the (so called) aristocrats. No wonder they became bankrupt & wished to involve us in a terrible war. The morales of the young men (& women too) were as low as they could possible be simply because their style of living without work gave an opportunity for the construction of every evil habit. Most of their stylish ladies here chew tobacco dip snuff (dipping snuff is performed by taking a little wooden brush & wetting it with spittle then dipping it into the snuff & rubbing it upon the gums. Don't you think you'll learn to dip?)…God will not allow this war to cease until the monster Slavery is entirely crushed…I have learned the sad tidings of Johnnie's [Dougall's] death [Dougall had been severely wounded at Gettysburg only to succumb to the wound at Camp Letterman on Aug. 18, 1863]…he was as true to his country as ever [a] lad of his age could be & nobly fell while fighting for our banner & the land of our fathers. He is mourned by his surviving comrades…[he] is often remembered & spoken of as the true & brave. I do sympathize with his dear good mother…may Heaven grant her much peace & comfort…soon we may meet the enemy here as we are within four miles of Chattanooga & around the base of Lookout Mountain. O how our noble boys charged the Rebs out of their position here on the night of the 28th…the Rebs made a midnight attack up on us while most of us were asleep but we got up & flogged them most beautifully. They'll not attempt another such move here again. I am connected with the artillery now instead of infantry & enjoy it much better…". Raising to the rank of captain, Mickle served faithfully throughout the remainder of the war, being wounded at Gettysburg, and serving as a staff officer for Generals Howard, Hooker, and Sherman. 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).