Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
A rare battle of Gettysburg letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Sergeant Major Horace G. H. Tarr [1884-?, WIA Peach Tree Creek, Ga., 7/20/64], "In the field 7 miles from Williamsport on the Sharpsburg road, July 10, 1863," in part: "I wrote a very brief note…from the battlefield of Gettysburg…I sent it to the P. O. by good Union man who came upon the field after the fight from Littletown…I have passed safely through another great battle…of which Chancellorsville was a mere skirmish. Never was there a field more closely contested for…I never heard…of more being slaughtered in so short a times there was between 5 o'clock A. M. and 5 P. M. on Friday the 3rd. This was a grand yet awful day and the 4th we had a quiet and a glad celebration with…little fighting except picket firing in the morning…you will never know anything of the doings of the 12th Corps from the papers as they are not a newspaper Corps and…do not…have a reporter in the Corps…we never get credit for anything…they always have as much hard work to do as any Corps. Our Regiment was the only one in the brigade in the fight as the rest were held as a reserve. We were holding a position on the right of Genl. Geary and were under fire for 7 hours. During the first 4 hours I was in command of the volunteer skirmishers, 30 in number and most of the picked men-out of 3 were killed and 4 wounded all but one on the 2nd and 3rd from between 7 and 8 a. m. Among the killed was my cook a man who has been with me for 5 months and when he saw I was going out followed me in order to look out for me and see that I wasn't too careless…we commenced quite a brisk fire. I saw no more of him until I saw the boys taking him off dead. In the afternoon Capt. [James Brattle] Burbank [brevet major for Chancellorsville], my friend, took command of the line and I on duty in [the] regiment. Some artillery were playing from a hill [Powers Hill] in the rear of our line and I was constantly going from there to the lines giving information as to the whereabouts of our men and the enemy so they could direct the fire accordingly. [It was from this position, Powers Hill, that Pvt. George W. Warner was severely wounded (becoming a double amputee) by friendly fire from a Union battery posted there. Please read his story in the next lot!] About 2 o'clock P. M. they retreated and we advanced & we took possession of the breastworks. Our boys set up a glad shout for we had fought long for these. One wounded Reb asked me for water as I passed him. I poured what I had into his canteen. He thanked me and asked me to forgive him for shooting at me. He said that he was pressed into the C. S. service and torn from his home and family. He had tried many times to come over to our lines but could not. He said there were many the same way…[July 12, in line of battle]…we are in line of battle and the enemy ditto one mile from us…our pickets are within speaking distance. Once in a while they will fire then lay off and talk to each other. Tomorrow will have a great fight. I am ready but I am not going through this as well as the rest. Do you believe in events casting their shadows before-cant write more…if I am killed let me lie where I fall…". Signed Horace. By the end of 1864 Tarr, was promoted to AAAG on the staff of brigade commander Bvt. Brig. Gen. William Cogswell in the 20th Corps. and interestingly enough, we found evidence on the web that Tarr was a friend of Walt Whitman and his brother Jeff. A bit light in places, else VG to near fine.
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