Raynor HCA 2014-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2014
A good Union letter written by Emauel Froelich who enlisted 7/17 into PA 31st Infantry, was captured and died at Salisbury prison, 11/25/1864. Within this six page letter, Froelich describes the Crater Explosion. In part, “Entrenchments at Petersburg, Va. August 10/64, ... I suppose you are aware of the explosion on the 30th of July, we were in the pits on the 29th July and in the evening we got relieved and marched to the left where the 9th Corps was so the troops men all massed until daylight the fort went up which shook the earth like an earthquake. The batteries all opened and our men made a charge on their works taking them from the Rebs, there were some 500 men buried in the fort some standing in the ground up to their arms some up to their waste. Arms and legs and other parts of the bodies could be seen lying around. .. In the afternoon the Rebs made a charge on the niggers these men which made us loose our gain. Our loss is very great some 5,000 to 6,000 men have been killed and wounded. .. I have been detailed to the Colors on the 3rd as Color Guard. It takes all Corporals for Color Guard, there are 8 Guards at the Colors of which are Corporals. I am not proud and I do not care much about it, but I like it first rate. I am free from all duty, no picket, no fatigue, no guard nor any other. On the 3rd we came to the pits on the left 4 days. On the second day the Rebs were trying some of their mining, they were going to blow up one of our forts but were far from the way not touching our fort, doing more damage to themselves then to us. They were going to make a charge on us but did not trust. They opened musket fire and artillery but could not scare us. There was an Orderly Sergeant come over into our lines telling us that they were undermining one of our forts then our men lay down outside the fort and heard them working in the ground so our boys lay down and caught 1 Lieut. and 11 Privates and so it goes. There is a great deal of cannonading going on all the time. ... I must tell you if an explosion which took place at City Point yesterday while some niggers were unloading ammunition, one of the cap shells exploded while there was two boat loads of them there. One shell after another until it came to the boat when it made a crack and tearing everything to pieces killing nearly 3,000 men. Arms, legs and whole bodies were thrown 250 yards from the place where the explosion was....”
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