Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
A great war-date Union surgeon's battle letter, 3pp. 4to., written by Surgeon Perez R. Randall 5th (West) Virginia Vols., Mount Jackson, Virginia, June 15, 1862, to friend Richard M. Vinson, in part: "…we have been on a forced march for 5 or 6 weeks. We overtook Gen. [Stonewall] Jackson last Sunday and had a hard fight. Our Regt. lost 28 killed and wounded. Thos. Stafford of Paintsville was the first killed. His back bone was cut in two by a shell. I do not know the exact amt. lost by our army. The first accept was between 4 & 500, but I think it is over 600. We fought till night then the rebels run and burned a bridge behind them 12 miles this side of Stanton [Staunton?]…Fremont is with us and [is] commanding. We have about 30,000 men and the Reb Jackson is said to have more than we have. On a little more than an acre of ground where one of their batteries were we counted 27 dead horses and in following them we saw dead men, legs, arms and feet, broken wagons, dead horses, cloths, broken army equipments and almost everything. The battle was fought about 7 miles beyond Harrisonburg, Rockingham Co. where Col. Gray lives. I staid 3 nights with Col. Gray and was treated like a gentleman. He is a gentleman yet…we do not have our tents without us and…have to sleep on mother earth, but we are soldiering now. Col. Gray tells me that he left some of his negroes with McHenry to work to pay their board & expenses and…he did not want to keep them any longer or their work did not pay expenses. He was to send them to Ben Spradling at Paintsville. This was the contract. Col. Gray had heard that McHenry has trumped up an acct. of $3 or 400, had them levied on in order to sell them. He has heard also that some of the negroes were at the mouth of Sandy. He made me promise to write you and get you to attend t getting the negroes to Ben Spradling or…get L. J. More to take them and keep them. He does not want the children separated from the mother, He will pay all expenses and if McHenry has a judgement do not let them sell. I myself will quarantine any…that is necessary to save them till Col. Gray can come and see to the business. You need have no fears of Col. Gray he is a right kind of man. (Dick attend to this for me. You shall be paid well for your trouble.) I do not know when I can come home. We can not get a furlough when in the field and the enemy right by us. We may fight again within a few days. We are expecting that the enemy will be…reinforced from Richmond or that we will march for Richmond…there will be two or more great battles near here or at Richmond…direct to 5 Va. Regt, Mountain Department via New Creek, Va…respectfully yours etc, P. Randall." VG to near fine.
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