2nd Connecticut Heavy Artillery Battle of Cold Harbor Letter

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2015

A good war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 3pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Homer S. Sackett, Co. H, 2nd Conn. Hvy. Artillery, Cold Harbor, [Va.], June 6, 1864, to his brother Augustine Sackett, in part: "…we have had several very hard marched & on the first day of June had our first actual battle. We have had a few skirmishes before. Our first duty was to make a charge on the rifle pits of Beauregards & Longstreets corps. We stood the bursting well. It was a fearful undertaking. We took their lines of their works but failed to get their battery. We lost between 2 & 300 men in killed, wounded & missing. Col. Kellogg was killed just after getting over their breastworks. He went ahead of the boys & urged them forward, was a little too much liquor for his own good. We lost 2 killed in Co. H and 12 wounded. I had a ball scratch my neck one half inch more & I was gone. Miner [Pvt. Minor Strong WIA (leg) Cedar Creek, Va., 10/19/64] was hurt by a rail knocked against him by a shell. He is in the hospital…we took about 500 rebus. We are in the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 6th Corps Gen. Sedgwick's old corps. We should have punished them badly had the 9th N. Y. stood their ground. They ran the first thing and let the rebus flank us. The old officers give us the praise…we have been exposed to the rebel fire ever since their shot & shell whistle & burst around and among us…I cannot for the life of me see how our battalion was on picket night before last…an exchange of shots with the Johnies all the time. Just before we were relieved we were informed they were forming in line of battle…when they made a charge. We had strengthen our works & could give them a cross fire. They had to retire…& listen to the cheers of our boys which made the woods ring. The ground in front of our works is covered with muskets, straps & the daed bodies of the rebus, behind lay the muskets of our own poor fellows & the fresh earth of their graves. Such scenes you are spared. The sea soon washes out all traces of your battles…we are all tired and lame from severe marches…the worst one 37 miles in 18 hours. It was to keep ahead of Lee & gain the ford over the Pamunkey which we did. We are now about 9 miles from Richmond…we get our supplies from the White House on the York…we are in a pine grove. There is hardly a tree but has from 1 to 50 bullet marks on it & a good many cut down by shell…the rebus left some 400 dead on the field last night…the Rebs came up in three lines. How they must have been cut up. Our pits run in the shape [draws a stair case here] and we threw a good many shell among them…we lost most of our things on the way here…from your brother Homer". The original stamped transmittal cover, addressed: "Augustine Sackett, 2nd Assistant Engineer USN, USS ship Mattabasett, North Atlantic Blockading Squadron", is included

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