Raynors HCA 2015-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 7pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. James B. Sterling, Co. E, 7th Conn. Vols., [MWIA Olustee, Florida, 2/20/64], Beaufort, S. C., Jan. 2, 1863, in part: "…we have got a new general here. His name is Semour [Brig. Gen. Truman Seymour]. I do not know what kind of man he is yet [but] I think he is a nice man…I suppose that all the young ladies are…getting married up there…I don't think all the young men will get married…for most of them are in the army fighting…because a few leading hypocrites have caused a Civil War in our once glorious Nation but they may be sorry for it…there is not many of the soldiers [who] care which way it does turn[s out] so that it returns them to their homes. The cry that they are on shot rations is groundless. They have all they want…our officers…told us that the Southerners had nothing of any account in Fort Pulaski yet when we got there we found…plenty to have lasted them for 8 months and a great deal better than we had. The only thing that they were short of was water…they are a hard race of men to scare…our generals have not tried to do much else. They have rushed our troops into danger for nothing and rushed them upon batteries with orders not to fire on any consideration. They did this at James Island where our men were slaughtered like sheep. [They] could not have the satisfaction of shooting back at them…this is a fair sample of the way they do things in the army. Is it not enough to discourage a soldier…I wish that there was a rope around some men's necks and I had hold of the other end…there is Horace Greeley for one and Stanton for another…it makes me mad to think what men are in power in our government…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Overall VG.
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