Raynors HCA 2015-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 2pp. 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. 19, 1863. A great letter detailing the capture of numerous men from Capt. Matthew Brown's 116th Ohio company while they were as a wagon train guard by Confederate Partisan Ranger Captain John Hanson McNeill. In this letter Frost uses the often remarked on, but seldom encountered "buying butter" quote to reference paying for sex to describe Brown's ineptitude in allowing his command to be captured. This historic letter, reads, in part: "…we have had bad luck for the last two or three months. The Sesech captured a train…last Monday that went out after hay. There was 40 men out of Captain Brown's company [that] went out for a guard. There was 16 wagons and 2 men with each wagon. There was about 23 of [CSA Gen.] Imboden's cavalry under [guerrillas] Capt. McNeal [who] rode up and demanded them to surrender…they throwed their guns down and gave…up without every firing a gun. They took them…out past Moorefield over…to Lost River and paroled them and the teamsters…they said that the Secesh in Moorefield came out and cheered the secesh and gave them pies and apples and every little Tad that was able to hurrah for them done it. Captain Brown's men made for the rail road as hard as they could…the boys say that Brown's men told the secesh that they was glad that they was taken and when someone said that our men was about to over take them they said that they wanted to be paroled…they told them that one half of the regiments would do the same…they have telegraphed to…Parkersburg and other places to have them taken up…if they get them before they get home they will be sent to Annapolis, Md. They had ought to be put threw. The boys say that Brown was pissy assed drunk. He was off to a house trying to buy some butter [have sex.] The darned old clapy assed fool ought to be tared and feathered and drummed out of camp…". VG
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