2004-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004
Nice war-date Union soldier’s 2pp. 8vo., ink inscribed partial ? letter written by Pvt. William Caldwell, Co. F, 57th Penn. Vol. [n. p.], June 15, 1863 concerning the movement of his regiment on the onset of the Gettysburg campaign, in part: “…we moved again…having done all the little jobs…such as making a full report of the members present, the number for duty…and the amount of ammunition on hand…as we were having inspection of arms the Lieut. Col. came along ordering the regt to be ready to move at 8 1/2 o’clock…the Co. spent most of the day in digging for water and struck a good vain of middling water and fenced the well in…this morning we had to leave it to someone else…the 40th New York left this camp this morning. Our brigade moved all together. Today we bury another of our mess mates Wm. Crill…on the 8th we buried James Ebbert…we started with these 2 and have always been together…till disease carried them away. Out of 11 of us…only five are in the company. 2 have died, 1 wounded, 3 in the Hospital…we have only 28 men out of 76 for duty. We have 32 away at different hospitals. The rest are sick in camp…we left 5 behind. The rest managed to follow the Regt. without their knapsacks…the rebels fired into a train of cars. They are Gurrillas…no doubt we are guarding the property of some of them…”. Undoubtedly, they would lose many more (165) men, since as part of Sickle;s 3rd Corps they fought desperately outside the Peach Orchard on July 2, 1863. Damp stains, else very good.
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