Raynor HCA 2014-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2014
A fine war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. William Fitzgerald, Co. I, 2nd Connecticut Heavy Artiller, [KIA Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 64], "Camp near Petersburg, Va., June 28, 1864", in part: "…our regiment was in the fight at Cold Harbor on the first of June. Our colonel [Elisha S. Kellogg] fell pierced with balls as he was heading us on and our major [James Dean] was wounded and one captain [Luman Wadhams] killed…some were shot down by my side. We took the rifle pits away from the rebels and we staid in them all night. We were expecting that they would try to take the pits back…but they did not…we were tired after our hard march but we could not sleep for the pits were full of mud. We could hear the wounded moning…I lost my haversack during the fight and I did not have anything to eat until I found a reb haversack full of corn bread…we were relieved in the morning…we lost in killed and wounded about 400 men out of our regiment. We left Cold Harbor and traveled day and night until we got to James River whare we took the transports and went up the river to Rocky Point…we went south as far as the city of Petersburg. The rebs hold the town and our rifle pits are within 1/2 mile of the town. We were on picket one night near the city and we could hear the bells strike the hour…our army is all around the town and they are trying to take it and cut all the railroads leading to Richmond…we have traveled nearly 250 miles on foot since we left Fort williams…in every house there was no one but women, children and very old men. I asked one of them whare all the men were and he said they were all drafted in the rebel army…". Minor damp stains, else VG
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