Raynor HCA 2014-04
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/1/2014
A good war-date Confederate soldier's Gettysburg battle letter, 2pp. 15" long folio, written by Pvt. Isaiah Grandison Baker, Co. A, 6th Virginia (POW Ellitt's Station, Va., May 22, 1864), Hagerstown, Cumberland Co., Maryland, July 9, 1863, in part: "…I have been keeping a diary…my knapsack & roll with all that I have…is now supposed to be in Winchester. I put them with the officers baggage when the fight at Gettysburg, Pa. commenced on the 1st…we started from Fredericksburg on the 14th of June and marched through Culpeper…taking the direct route to the Potomac river which we forded at Shepardstown on the 24th. Passed over the battle ground of Sharpsburg through Boone's boor…and on the 26th entered Pennsylvania at Middleburg…and passed through Greenscastle , Chambersburg…on the 30th we…came upon the enemy in force near the town of Gettysburg. They were soon forced to fall back beyond the town where they were entrench. We forced them…about 6 miles…I never saw the enemy fight so stubbornly. They held their ground in the front but were repulsed on both flanks. The battle continued with increasing fury until the 3d at night when it ceased by mutual consent. We held what we had gained on the right & left and both parties remained in [?] in the centre. Longstreet on our right, Ewell on our left and A. P. Hill (our corps) had the centre. Two of the divisions of our corps (Heath's & Pender) suffered very much…our brigade (Mahone's)…were in a very exposed condition supporting our front & centre batteries…several of our brigade was struck but few were seriously injured. I had slight casualty. A shell exploded at my feet shattered my musket stock over my head, several splinters struck me, one went in my breast a short distance but the only real damage done was a big fight so far as I was concerned…several were hurt around me. A piece of the exploded shell went in the leg of Wm. Banks who was laying by my side. My few scratches bled so profusely that I had to go to the Dr. to have them dressed , but was again at my post in the course of an hour…on the 4th of July we lay all day in the face of the enemy…who about night fall began to fall back which Genl. Lee finding out took up the same movement and fell back to this place…we are not aware of the extent of the damage we did the enemy at Gettysburg, opinion on that subject is much divided though we all agree that we were the victors although we did not drive them entirely from their position. They fought more stubbornly than they ever did before. I saw about 6000 of the prisoners we took, some of the last taken represent their loss as very great…of our loss…[is] estimated at 3500 all told…P. S. I am now in Genl. A. P. Hill's Corps, in camp near Hagerstown, Md…". Signed "Grandison". VG.
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