Encountering A Severely Wounded Comrade At The Battle of Rocky Face Ridge

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

A great war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., Pvt. Frank Ashley, Co. H, 64th Ohio Vols., "Camp in the field near Adairsville, Geo., May 20, 1864", in part: "…we are giving the rebs all they want, have drove them about 60 miles, fighting every day, some fought about 3 hours last night [and] made the rebs scaddle. We are traveling in a good country…it is warm, dry & dusty…we will come off victorious. 2 months more…will close the hard struggle…move camp near a mill pond, wash ourselves and clothes. Do not know how long will stay here…for we never was known to lay any length of time in the face of the enemy …we have been on the road since the 3rd of this month…we run the rebs…that they could not march any farther and then would fight 2 or 3 hours but they retreat in good order…we have captured a good many prisoners and had 2 heavy battle, one near Dalton the other near Resaca. The one near Dalton we lost 74 men killed and wounded and one taken prisoner Eli Whitley [who is now buried in Chattanooga National Cemetery, Grave K-378] but I found him the day we left. The rebs had him but his wound was so bad that he could not be moved therefore [he] was left in the woods and was taken to an old citizen's house [and] was taken care of as well as could be…but his wound was not dressed from the time it was done till it was too late…also one of his intimate friends was shot at Resaca while trying to find Colonel Harker [brigade commander Gen. Charles G. Harker] who was reported wounded. There was 4 of them and 2 was wounded…one General was killed at the same time…there will be a fatal blow struck to the Southern Confederacy. All the lode troops are at the front and 25,000 more are on their way from Cairo…". The 64th Ohio lost heavily during the battle of Rocky Face Ridge suffering 21 killed, 65 wounded and two missing. It would be one of their most costly battles! The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG

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).