Rare July 2, 1863 Battle of Baltimore Cross Roads, Virginia Letter.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2015

War-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4 1/2pp. 8vo., written by Sgt. Moses M. Ordway, 40th Mass. Vols., "Five miles from White House, Va., July 4, 1863" to his brother concerning the battle of Baltimore Cross Roads which occurred during the battle of Gettysburg on the Peninsula, in part: "…I am out in old Virginia hunting rebs. Last wednesday morning we left White House and advanced as far as Baltimore Cross Roads and bivouacked about three…we were trotted into line of battle in a hurry…Col. Porter discovered that the Rebs were flanking us…so we came back…we only went out for the purpose of [?] them out here. That day (Thursday) some New York Regmts. went out again…Col. Porter's A. D. C. came in on the gallop with an order for our regt to go out. We were soon on the move…we met those New Yorkers coming back like the devil. They said they took up their position in the woods but the rebs began to shell them and they had to travel. We kept on till we came up to where one of our batteries was posted. We passed them and kept on…after leaving two companies in the woods we fell back to the battery and formed a line of battle. In a few minutes we heard the two companies blazing away…they came in and reported they fired at the advance guard of the rebs. We were then ordered to lie down and pretty quick a shell came whizzing over our heads…they flew lively but they fired too high…our regt. formed line of battle upon the crest of the hill and advanced two companies upon our left…the rebs came up within five hundred yards under cover of the woods. Our twop companies then opened upon them and made them howl most beautifully. They soon opened a battery upon us and…the shell came pretty devilish near…one of our batteries soon came up and drove them out…when we left White House our forces went in three different directions…if Foster has…gone up the james river I think that something will turn up that will astonish the rebs…Moses M. Ordway...". The original transmittal cover is also included. VG

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