Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
2nd South Carolina Letter on Troops Movement Near Fair Fax One Month Before Bull Run A good early war-date Confederate soldier's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Sgt. Sherod Luther Leaphart, Co. A (Governor's Guards), 2nd South Carolina (2nd Palmetto) Vols., "Fair Fax C. H., [Va.], June 25, 1861" to his sister, in small part: "…our regiment left Bull Run on the 21st inst-took up [the] march for this place…in the evening. The col. [future Brigadier General Joseph B. Kershaw, POW Sayler's Creek] thrower out one company in front and kept one back, as advance & near ford; the other companies in close columns. The night was warm giving us a very fatiguing march…many of the men thrower their blankets away…Fair Fax village is about the the size of Lexington S. C. There are but few ladies remaining…those sympathizing with the north have left for Alexandria…Fair Fax is the place…a small battle…took place about three weeks ago. I can see where several bullets took effect in the houses and also the place where Capt. Marr [the first CSA officer KIA during the war] was killed. They have driven a stake in the ground to mark the spot. I saw Mrs. Jackson at preaching last Sunday-the widow of jackson who killed Col. Ellsworth at Alexandria…the brother of jackson (whom I have become acquainted with) told me that Mrs. jackson was in the house at the time…and stood over his bleeding body while it was pinned fast to the floor by the bayonets of the enemy…some of the best singers in the companies have sort of organized themselves in to a choir…we now have a great many troops near this place…we will make still further advancements towards Alexandria…there are now between five and eight thousand Federal troops within eight miles of us…near a place called Falls Church. Fifty…of our company have gone on picket…towards the enemy…they often go in hearing of the enemy and…in sight of them. The picket duty is to watch the movement of the enemy and to extend the alarm back to the camp should they make an advance . Our pickets bring back one or two prisoners almost everyday…last Sunday a Va. horse picket picked up a captain while he was walking with two ladies in sight of his camp…the man…who caught him [said] that he and the ladies bloted aloud when they pitched upon him…various skirmishes…fights are taken place almost every day in this state…we are now within fourteen miles…of Alexandria and Washington City. Col. [Maxey] Gregg has been to the Potomac…and looked across upon the enemy on the opposite bank. Col. Gregg has now become very popular with his men…he don't sleep day or night…I will…write often…provided I can get any thing to write on. This little village gets its supplies from Alexandria and since the supplies have been cut off it has become exhausted of almost every thing…I begged this single sheet of paper in the company…". VG
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