Operating South of Richmond With Sheridan's Cavalry Before Five Forks

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

A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 5pp. 8vo., written by Sgt. Major Moses M. Ordway, 40th Mass. Vols., Spring Hill, Va., Mar. 28-29, 1865 to his brother, in part: "…on the…24th we broke camp at White House [Landing] and marched as far as Jones Bridge on the Chicahominy river where we camped for the night and to wait for Sheridan to come up. Only a part of his cavalry started with us the rest of Sheridan's force came up in the morning and we started again. We reached Charles City Court House about noon. It is a splendid country about there. I paid the court house a visit. The County jail stands near by…we reached Harrison's Landing…McClellan's old camps remain just as he left them. We saw old fortifications and we found plenty of graves as we always do when we go where he went…we passed directly over the Malvern Hill battle field…it is a splendid country there. We reached here about dark…when Sheridan came in from the Valley he brought a great many captured horses and when we left White House a great many of them were turned loose and a good many of our men picked himself a horse. All the cooks had one. We had a big cavalcade of horses bringing up the rear of our Reg. We (our Non Commission Staff) took a man's buggy & harness, picked up a pretty good horse…and loaded it with our shelter tents, overcoats & rations. We had quite a respectable team. The farmers very kindly fed him along the road when we wanted any oats for him. We would go to some old chap and make him fork over. The horses bringing up the rear [looked] like young mountains [with] so many knapsacks piled onto them…since we left Chapins Farm…we traveled by transport & foot about one thousand miles…we…are now on what is called Spring Hill…we took quarters that a New York Reg left…Sheridan crossed the river yesterday and all the white troops except our Div. left last night. We think…that Sherman has got into a tight place and Grant is going to do something. Something to help him out of it…". The original "U. S. Christian Commission" transmittal cover is included. VG

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).

$Operating South of Richmond With Sheridan\'s Cavalry Before Five Forks$