Raynors HCA 2015-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015
A highly descriptive Union soldier's letter, 8pp. 4to., written by Sergeant Volney Tidball, Co. H, 122nd Ohio [MWIA Cedar Creek, Va., Oct. 19, 1864], Winchester, Va., Jan. 15, 1863 to his female friend Emma, in small part: "…the 22nd of Dec 1862 we left Petersburg…we passed through a rough country except some bottoms along the south branch of the Potomac…we passed through Moorfield…it is a nice town of some six or eight hundred…there is considerable wealth and taste displayed…some of the rocks and hills were…sublime…after marching 21 miles…not more than fifty men were at their places when the regt stopped…we encamped on Lost River. This river takes its name from being lost inside mountain. When it comes out on the other side it is called Capon…Dec. 24th part of our regt was started…for Wardensville…it was said that the bushwhackers made this place their rendezvous. (Three of our men had been shot by these cowardly miscreants the evening before, but neither of the shot proved fatal.) I was [in] the latter division of our regt. When we got there the boys that had gone on before were carrying on for themselves, most of them had pressed their breakfast. (Which is done by going into a house and demanding something to eat.) We found no rebels…to pops us but any amount of those who had not taken up arms especially the fair sex who would argue in favor of rebellion…Dec. 25th I was out with a scouting party. We traveled about 12 miles captured to barrels of whiskey and three or four men…when we got to camp…the officers [were] in great fear of an attack…Dec. 26th fears were freely expressed of our safety…as a very large force was hovering around us and if they attacked our escape was hopeless. We took the back track, marched 13 miles, saw no enemy…(28th)…we marched about 8 miles. We were stopped by firing which was heard in our rear…about 40 cavalry had made a dash at our train, captured 50 horses and some ten or twelve men. Our force…consisted of about two thousand infantry, four pieces of artillery and a few cavalry. Our train was ten miles long which gave the rebels a good chance to steal our horses….30th we gathered up our troops and marched…through Romney…Dec 31st we marched 21 miles…O dear how tired. If I could…have loaded the Col. with a knapsack full of rocks and made him march all night…started on a reconnoitering expedition…up the Valley saw no rebels…the 12th inst five Cos of our regt, 5 of the 110 Ohio, two pieces of artillery and thirty or forty cavalry started for Front Royal…at the north branch of the Shenandoah…we were ordered to take off our shoes…and wade the river…I thought it would be a light job…how cold!…in less than half a minute after going in the river the circulation stopped as high as the water came up…in reaching the other side a distance of about one hundred yards…my legs were bleeding where they had been cut by the slush…the Manassas Gap rail road runs along the bank of this stream. The track is all torn up…and the bridges all destroyed…[at] Front Royal we were quartered in houses. The citizens are about all secesh but are sociable and hospitable…very few men left at home, all in the rebel army…I was ordered to take 6 men and relieve the pickets…I had a long talk with a lady whose husband wa in the rebel army…she was a fervent supporter of Davis. Still she treated me with true lady like respect. I tried to convince [her] we were right but true to her woman nature she would not be convinced. Several rebels had been seen prowling round outside our lines and we knew not what…we would be attacked…each had to sleep with his accouterments on…and his truest friend his rifle by his side…we captured a lot of tobacco and sugar…the valley of the Shenandoah or the Valley of Va…has been in a high state of cultivation…which was once so nicely taken care of is laid waste. There is no fence except some stone fence within two miles of the town. All over the land the armies have destroyed all the improvements. The bridges are all burned…there are some large plantains through hereabout the slaves are nearly all gone. Some of them gone north and a great many in the rebel army. Gen. Milroy has issued an order freeing the slaves in this country. It will weaken the rebel power. A lady told me…that when the slaves were all gone that the women would turn out and do the work. How little do the people of the free states no of the effect of this terrible war…the farms are laid desolate and every business is prostrate…there are no men here to do the work. They can never raise another army for want of men…last Sunday I was at the M. E. church…the preacher delivered a very nice sermon. He prayed for his country that 'God might take the lead of affairs and show himself the arbitrator of nations.' He did not say which side he wanted the Lord to be on…you think you would like to be in a hospital. Well you desire a very hard life…though it would certainly be a noble one. It would be a high calling to have the privilege of alleviating the sorrows of those disabled in the service of their country…". Near fine.
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