Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Norman J. Ray, Co. A, 33rd Mass. Vols., Camp near Stafford Court House, Va., Feb. 22, 1863, in part: "…well Mel you gave it to me a little…hard in regard to being in the army…it is a little rough for brother to brother and especially written on paper. You are like a great many…no wonder that more will not enlist if you all talk to them as you did to me. You call it a Good forsaken cause. Is it right…to have Slavery, to trade men, although with black skin, as you would a horse. If it is not right will God forsake those that are trying to exterminate it. If you think so, I do not. You want a change of policy and a change of party…if James Buchanan had been hung instead of being president we should not have had this war…you stick to party yet, thou men you speak of used to cry on to Richmond and now cry peace…they but stand back and cry over this and that. If they…keep still it would be a great benefit to the army. You say that the Army of the Potomac has been under Fighting Joe for 3 weeks and still you hear of Rebs in arms. Well…I do not call that a very sensible speech…what do you expect a man to do in that time and at this time of the year. If you do not know why this army don't move I will tell you, because of the mud. It is an impossibility to move our batteries. You could not hitch enough to one piece to move it through this mud. If the generals that have been in the command of this army had had the whole command there would have been peace before this time. I wish that they would not [let[ a Genl. take command of this army until he had the power to choose, make and break his Genls and had the entire command without asking Congress or Lincoln whether he could do so…they ought to have hung Gen. Porter when he was court marshaled…I wish that Gen. Butler was Secretary of War and that we had more men like him to fill other positions. They ought to commence and hang half of the officers from 2nd lieutenant up. The miserable, drunken, good for nothing things. They are not man or half a man. I had the pleasure of seeing Gen. Hooker last Monday. We were reviewed by him, a fine looking man, but older than I thought he was. His hair was most white. He rode his famous white horse. I did not vote for Lincoln, or anyone less, as I never carried a vote to the polls in my life…from your brother, Norman." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG.
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