Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A nice war-date Union musician's letter, 12pp. folio, written by Joseph Atwater Hall, Band, 5th Conn. Vols., "5th Regt. Conn. Vols. Camp near Culpeper Court House, Va., July 31, 1862" to his brother Pvt. Julius Hall who had recently enlisted in Company K of the 1st California Vols. with some pertinent questions to his brother in the 1st California Vols. on his service in the West. reading, in very small part: "…Richmond will be taken if it takes the whole North to do it. Since McClellan's defeat the President has called for 300,000 more men and they are reporting…rapidly. Three regts are being filled up in CT…most of the state militia have offered their services…they have made a bold stand at Richmond…there is a large force of Rebels at Gordonsville…Pope has command of…Fremont's, Siegel's and Banks divisions and they are concentrating at Sperryville…they are known as the Army of Va…our brigade…[is] commanded by Gen. Crawford [and] is the advance and our regt is about a mile in advance……Pope…will make a move and then the Rebs had better look out for his motto is to advance and not retreat…you have probably had some brushes with the rebels or Indians by this time. Well how do you like soldiering now!…when Pope took command he issued an order that the commissary dept. should issue no soap, candles, beans & any beef except fresh…instead of loading the teams with rations, they carried their knapsacks…one night after the march…only about one hundred men [were[ present…the remainder having fallen out on acct. of the heat…Pope…makes all the citizens take the oath…and those that wont he puts outside our lines…if he catches one after that…he just puts him under guard. The guerrillas cause us some troubles as the mountains are full of them…it is not safe to be caught a great ways from camp. Pope has…issued orders…that whenever the guerrillas do us any damage the citizens are held responsible and a tax is levied upon their property making them sell out…George Tuttle is got to be a 'poor shit'…he had bought Gould Andrews farm…he got married and moved into it and now it is mortgaged for about two thousand. He has spent every cent, got his wife in the family way and now is going to enlist…his money has done him a pile of good…several of the Wall.[ingford] boys were in the fight on James Island…Bill Hill…was wounded in the fort [Battery Wagner. See Hall's June 3rd letter]…La Bradley was wounded in the shoulder and fleshy part of the leg…he enlisted as a drummer…when the fight commenced he shouldered a musket…there has been a bill passed in Congress doing away with all bands in the Vols. service but the Pres. has not signed it yet…in case of an engagement we have to go onto the field and carry off the wounded…at the battle of Winchester. Jake Lane had a ball go through his whiskers and another through a board he was leaning against…they flew around us thick for a while. The one that went through the board was a solid shot from a cannon…". Near fine
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).
Click above for larger image.