Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A nice war-date Union soldier's letter, 3pp. 4to., written by Corp. William Seed, Co. A, 23rd New Jersey Vols., "White Oak Church, Va., Christmas, 1862", in part: "…Christmas is upon us. The men have little heart to make merry, many of our men are sick 2 or 3 lay dead in the hospital…tis enough to make the heart feel sick to see men lay by hundreds sick and dying far away from home and friends…some of our men made a cross of evergreens and fixed it off with candles...Uncle Sam's crackers was subsisted for candy, beef and other things covered it all over, also a large A for the Co…I had an invitation today to take dinner with some…Rush's Lancers & choose rather to spend the day by myself…there is some firing along the front last nighty and today some heavy guns are roaring…of the 23rd Regt during the fight [at Fredericksburg] we were 3 days under fire all the time laying on the ground in the mud without any covering...this is why so many of our men are dying. Your friend [Corp.] C.[harles] E. Coombs [he was reduced to a private January 1, 1863] laid down so frightened the rebs would have got him had not one of the men carried him out. He hasn't yet recovered. He lays around the camp fire with hardly ambition enough to cook…the men drive him around [and] do not like cowards…our colonel is Henry O. Ryerson. General Talbot who commands the brigade which is…the first New Jersey Brigade is the same Talbot of Fort Sumter notoriety …Doubleday's Battery was near us during the battle of Saturday. Talbot is a gay looking officer and brave…there is a great many of our officers resigning since the battle. Our Lieut. Col. has sent in his resignation also our adjutant, 4 or 5 Lieut and many others…". VG
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