Raynor HCA 2013-07
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/18/2013
In 1861 Ambrose M. Hite enlisted in the 97th Virginia Militia which was raised in Page County, Virginia. The regiment's colonel was Mann Spitler and their brigade commander was Brigadier General Gilbert S. Meem. The 97th served at Strasburg and Beverly, Virginia and were with Stonewall Jackson's forces during his Romney Campaign in January 1862. They were disbanded and absorbed into the 10th and 33rd Virginia Infantry Regiments in April 1862 by order of General Jackson. During their term of service they partook in the Stonewall Jackson's January 1862 Romney Campaign. Jackson marched to attack the Federal troops stationed along the Baltimore & Ohio railroad while destroying dams along the Chesapeake & Ohio canal. The following letter was written by Pvt. Hite and recounts the rout of the 97th during the battle of Bath, Virginia on January 7, 1862. This account is very rare and the first we have ever encountered in the market place. The letter is a, 4pp. 8vo., letter written by Pvt. Ambrose M. Hite, Co. E, 97th Virginia State Militia [later 33rd Virginia, Stonewall Brigade], "Camp Martinsburg, Va., Jan. 19, 1862", and reads, in part: "…I have been in another battle…a gun shot tipt my fore finger…the battle was on the 7th of Jan 1862. The Yankees…come all at once…we had no chance to get ready. I had just got up that morning and put on my clothes when Lieut. [James R.] Modesitt [later 7th Va. Cavalry, KIA Brandy Station] come and told us to get ready [and] that the Yankees was coming…we did not get any breakfast…we rapped up our bed clothes and put them on the wagon, then we got our guns and went up to the breastwork. The Yankys got up to the breastwork nearly as quick as we did…there was too many Yankys for us…we give them won fire and then the captain said retreat…every man was for himself. We fairly flew down the mountain. The men was scattered in every direction. The artillery tried to fire their cannons but could not succeed…we had two cannons, but lost them both. When I was retreating from the breastwork there was a line that caught my hat and pulled it off. The Yankees was so close on me that I did not stop to pick my hat up…I retreated about three miles on the piked then the Yankys cavalry come up so fast that I had to leave the pike and take for the mountains…I crost about 3 or 4 mountains…I cross Capon river about a mile above the bridge. We cross on the ice. I stayed all night at Capon Springs…I got my finger tied up…I and William [C.] Wilson [later 7th Va. Cavalry] and Joseph W. Toller [Joseph W. Lawler, later 33rd Va.] started on towards Winchester. We went about 13 miles that day…when we got in two miles of Winchester we met Uncle Martin Hite…we turned round and came back with them to camp…then we got orders to march to Moorefield…on Sunday the 12h of Jan 1862 we marched to the Hanging rock…next morning we had orders to march to Romney…we heard that the citizens said that [the] Yankys had two loads of dead and wounded. There was 2 of our men killed and 1 wounded and ten taken prisoner. Uncle Stage Modesitt's substitute shot the man that shot [and killed John D.] Aleshire. The Yankys got some of Col. Mowrow's papers and found out that Jackson was about, then they bent on back to Romney and fixed up and left. Jackson's men are at Romney now. When I was at Capon Springs the citizens give me an old hat. We lost our bed tick and some of our cooking utensils. Some of the company lost nearly all there things…we got more from than they got from us. We have got the Yankys nerely all on the other side of the river. We are camp in good buildings now. Martinsburg is a very large town…". Unsigned, but complete with just the address to his father Abraham showing at the bottom of the letter. The original transmittal cover is included..PLUS; a lightly inked, 2pp. 4to., letter addressed from "Camp Winder" in 1862 along with its original transmittal cover addressed to father Abraham Hite. All overall VG.
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