Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
Rare war-date Union engineer's battle letter, 3pp. 4to., written by Pvt. Jerome Bottomly, Co. C, U. S. Engineers, "near Petersburg, Va., Aug. 1, 1864," in part: "Since I wrote last there has been considerable noise, but nothing has been gained. I wrote Friday and said our works were most ready to open…about daylight the battalion, two hundred man, marched about a mile and a half to Gen. Warren's head quarters. We had just halted…when there was an explosion and then our batteries opened and for about fifteen minutes there was the greatest racket you can imagine. It lasted pretty…for two hours. The first fifteen minutes though was terrific. It made us all jump up and look around…we were expecting…some shells come over to us. There was a few…they did no harm. A few minnies came and struck in the ground…they were spent balls. The first explosion that morning…blew the reb battery up entirely…it was the heaviest cannonading I have heard. Men that were in camp say it was not so heavy as the first Fredericksburg, but I do not remember much noise…it may be…because I was thinking of something else [As one of the bridge builders over the Rappahannock he was under Confederate sharpshooter's fire.]…it does not seem as though Grant would kill half his men by marching…he knows a little more than some of the Northern newspapers and knows there is a limit to human endurance [However] I do not think Grant cares much for the lives of men. I like Meade's looks better than I do Grant and…the whole army does…there was picket firing last night…since we left Brandy Station on the 3d of May there has not been a single day but what I have heard firing and sharp firing too. Since I commenced on the last line there has been two cannon shots…our camp is in the woods close to Meade's head quarters. Our tents are all pitched in order [of] each company…the tent is pitched so the lower part is three feet from the ground. It is something like the roof of a house without any gable ends or sides [a lengthy description of making bunk beds]…the rebels will not allow the dead to be buried in our front because they are negroes…that seems foolish to me for it only hurts the living not those that are dead and they are as near the rebs as our fellows…Jerome." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Overall VG to near fine.
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