Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
Good war-date Confederate soldier's letter, 2pp. legal folio, written by Corp. Alexander Porter Morse, Co. I (Morgan Rangers), 1st Louisiana Cavalry, "Camp near Bowling Green, Ky., Dec. 9, 1861" to his father Isaac E. Morse (a former Louisiana state supreme court justice), in part: "We reached this point…safe and sound…having left Nashville the same morning…from Memphis our trip was characterized by continued and frequent detentions…the day before I left Memphis I met Lieut. Col. [Daniel] Beltzhoover of Watson's Battery [1st Louisiana Heavy Artillery] who had just come down from Columbus; he received me as cordially as if I were an equal, treated [me] to claret & invited me to dine with him…his account of the Belmont Battle was the great attraction; he showed me the sword he carried in the fight which was cut into by a minnie ball, just as he was drawing it. He left the same evening for Natchez, as he saw no prospect of a fight in that locality. There seems to be the same opinion entertained here with regard to this point…from nineteen to twenty thousand Southern troops are encamped near this place…there must be fifteen or sixteen thousand more within concentrating distance. Five of our companies are on the way to Russellville. They ride their horses as the distance is but thirty miles by turn-pike. Our company will follow them in two or three days…we pitched our tents…on the slope of a well graduated slope…only three hundre[d] yards from Bowling Green. Fifteen hundred of Terry's Texas Rangers have gone on to Green River and are endeavoring to engage the enemy…nearly all of these Rangers have three or four horse which they have captured…we see nobody but soldiers and nothing but guns & ammunition. The hill on which Ft. Johnson & all our main fortifications stand is on our right & commands the country north, east, south & west, as the whole country around it lies some hundred feet below in the shape of a ridgy valley…it would amuse you to see me out in the woods…chopping wood with as much "sang cord" as Abe Lincoln or any other rail splitter ever did…yr son, A. P. Morse". Negligible paper loss hardly effecting few words at the right margin, else VG
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