Private Amos Byers Is Accidentally Shot In The Head And Killed Instantly

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015

War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Pvt. Ephraim W. Frost [POW Winchester, Va., 6/13/63; WIA Piedmont, Va., 6/05/64 & DOD 1/15/65], Co. I, 116th Ohio Vols., Romney, (West) Va., Feb. 17, 1863, in part: "…we have had some bad luck the last few days. There was a train captured yesterday. There was about fifty men about 90 horses and mules and 16 wagons. Bill Stoneman and Joe Camel was taken, out of our company. Captain Brown and part of his company went out for a guard and they got strung out along the road and they got captured a=without firing a gun, The secesh road up and demanded them to surrender and they thrower down their guns and gave up…without firing a gun…there was a rather bad accident happened in Company C this morning. The men came in off picket and one man set his gun in pke rack, shot it off by accident and shot one man [Pvt. Amos S. Byers, buried Winchester National Cemetery] threw the head and killed him instantly. There appears to be a great deal of dissatisfaction in the whole of the army…for them that are kicking up a fuss in the north [they[ ought to be sent to the hottest beds of hell…about the train that was captured. Captain Brown was on horse back and got up and bugged back to camp and two of three companies of cavalry went out. As usual came back…this is the third train that has been captured since we came to Moorefield…I don't now what will become of this government for it appears that the democrats and the abolitionists are determined to keep out a political party. If the government goes to thunder I wish that they would settle it some way for this is a hard life to live…it appears to be the opinion of some that the fate of the nation rests with the fite at Vicksburg and Charleston…if we get whipped that…there will be a compromise and let the south go off to them selves…".

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