Deserters Get The Military Punishment of Riding The Chestnut Horse.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2014

A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Ezra Greene, Co. H, 2nd Rhode Island Vols., "Camp Sprague, [Washington], Dec. 14, [1861]", in part: "…we are going tot build our huts…the logs are cut between 8 and 9ft long…there was a balloon alighted here last monday. It was the Atlantic. The aeronaut La Mountain. He came from 4 miles beyond Alexandria. He said he passed the 4 regmt going on picket. He said our troop were not as far as Fairfax Ct. H. They had been drove back a few miles since then the 4 regts have had a skirmish…the aeronaut said he could give no further information until he had reported to headquarters about the time for dress parade tonight. There was several representatives here and we had to black our boots and polish our brasses…one English fellow that was in the English army had an extra clean gun [and] got an extra pass to the city. Staid a day and night and has been on the chestnut horse half of the time ever since. He says [he] will never have a clean gun again. He says he will train no more in Company D…and says Co. D is all down on him…if a soldier is absent from dress parade. He is reported a deserter and will have to ride the chestnut horse. The N. York 36th are down on the R. I. boys. 2 of our boys met 2 of the 36 and they began to run down the R. I. boys…our boys nocked their faces all to pieces, then the 36 boys came over to our officers…it was reported to the colonel. [Future brevet major general Frank Wheaton.] He then called our boys band heard their story. The colonel told our boys they did just right. He told them he would have done just so. They do not like it, our [boys] having such a name in the city…the 8th battery is quartered in the infantry barracks. There is a company or 2 of regular cavalry from California [here]…". VG

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