Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
War-date Union soldier's letter, 3 1/2pp. 8vo., written by Corp. Samuel C. Kirkpatrick [WIA in the face at Port Gibson, Miss., 5/1/63], Co. E, 11th Wisc. Vols., "Camped in 6 miles of Helena, Ark., Sept. 24, 1862," in part: "…we have moved our camp again..it is a flat country. Our camp is…on the bank of the river in an old field…six Cos of the 33 Ill. Reg was down the river…after cotton. They did not come out so well…as they was coming back the rebels…got a battery…planted…back of the levy and as our boat came up they fired into her several times and would have captured our boat if it had not been for a Ram that was ahead. It heard the firing and came back. We fired into them several times…we must have killed several as…our men [that] could see them thought there was about 2500. They outnumbered us…our loss was 2 men out of the battery and 4 men out of the 33 Ill and 2 negroes. Good joke on the negroes. There is one man out of each Co. gone to Wisc. recruiting. Our orderly sergeant went…the fleet…is just returning from Vicksburg…Old McClellan's clan was giving the rebels gas in Vir…got a letter from A. F. Niles and he rote that he was afraid of being drafted…such men as that helped bring on this war and now they are the last to take hold and help squash it. We are under marching orders…we are ordered to Memphis…". The original transmittal cover is included. Kirkpatrick's phonetic spelling has been corrected. Minor mouse chew, toning, else very good.
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