Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A nice war-date Confederate soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Sgt. Sherod Luther Leaphart, Co. A (Governor's Guards), 2nd South Carolina (2nd Palmetto) Vols., "Vienna, [Va.], July 31, 1861" to his sister, in small part: "…since Sunday the day of the Battle…Lieut. Gaillard of our company have written a long piece about the battle etc which will be published in [the] Carolian…all our troops left Fair Fax in quite a hurry on the morning of the 17th though our flight from there was not quite as precipitate as that of the enemy from the battlefield back to Fair Fax. A few days before leaving Fair fax I had made…a valuable lady acquaintance…our breakfast was just placed on the table when the alarm was given to strike tents…it was necessary for us to push off at once; we found that the enemy was trying to flank us…and cut off our retreat with their large forces-the day was very hot and all had a hard time of it yet we made good our retreat. We did not reach Bull Run till next morning; that was the day of the first battle [battle of Blackburn's Ford, July 18]. Our regiment was not engaged in that battle more than guarding our entrenchments, which we had thrown up when we were first posted at this place. The first cannonading of the enemy in this engagement was directed against our embankments though they could not see…our position…they did us no injury…some of their bombs burst very near us and some of their solid shot pass over us cutting off limbs in the tree top…the main fight…was a little to our right; we were eye witnesses to the whole fight…we were expecting a second attack every minute till Sunday morning when the big Battle commenced…Mr. [Thompson] Earle…said he was anxious to join our company for three months…[he] wanted to know if he would be received for that time-he would have come…but could not get a permit at Richmond…I wrote him he could join us as an independent member…Sam…appears to be very much outdone that I did not telegraph the day after the battle…I was fully four miles from the office and it rained the whole day…there were members in the regiment…who endeavored to sent dispatches but…all failed…we have a good many persons from out state visiting here since the battle-Mrs. Goodwyn from Columbia is her-one of her sons (Charley of our company) was wounded in the battle, but is doing well…I have a Daugerreotype of some Yankee's wife & child picked upon the Battle field-there were numbers of them found, among other things…". VG.
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