Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A good Confederate surgeon's battle letter, 3 1/2pp folio, written by Surgeon Edward A. O. Ware [POW Antietam], 23rd Georgia, Yorktown, Va., April 20, 1862, in part: "…the patients are sent to Richmond & Williamsburg as fast as they become unfit for duty…this is a very old place…the few buildings left standing…[are] Washington's old head quarters, a moss covered frame building…also a old brick building of some pretensions…there are the marks of three cannon balls thrown by Cornwallis…an old Episcopalian church, now a hospital, stands near the main street with its old tomb stones…expressions as his Majesty & his blessed Majesty occur on several…the old battlefield…lies just between us and the enemy…[of the] Yan[kees we] frequently see them march in long columns across old field just out of range of our cannon…[April 22]…the Yankees in the bay threw an occasional bomb shell at our works…I rode down today on a visit to the 8th Ga. Reg. They are located about three miles from here and have very hard duty to perform…the 18th, 19th & 14th Ga. Regmts. are located within a mile of this place…a few days ago there was a battle down our lines. It lasted only a few hours, perhaps two or three. At the time of the hottest of the engagement I was at Genl Magruder's head Quarters ¾ of a mile from the scene of the conflict. The roar of cannons & shrill crack of musketry was tremendous…the cannonading was not excelled by the 21st July…we lost very few in the engagement. The Yankee loss is not known, tho it must have been considerable. Some of the prisoners stated that they were offered a gold medal & $100 a piece to charge our batteries & spike our guns…they fought with desperation; but were repulsed by the [?] valor of our troops. One of the medals…was exhibited by one of the prisoners, on one side engraved the Union on the other Death to Slavery…". Negligible paper loss at lower margin, else VG.
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