Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
Good war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 12pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Coleman Tilden, Co. H, 43rd Mass. Vols., Newbern, N. C., Dec. 22, 1862, to his parents, in part: "…of our expedition. The main object of the tramp…was to destroy the railroad at Goldsboro…cutting communication between Richmond and the southern seaboard…which was accomplished…we took our place in the brigade and moved on. We are the first brigade of the department of the North Carolina…a brigade was sent from Suffolk Virginia to reinforce us…we were the second brigade in line. The 9th New Jersey, a regiment unattached to any brigade…took the advance as skirmishers…they are a brave set of fellows…Goldsboro is about sixty five miles from Newbern…it is awful marching here…the whole way through pine forests…we started after rails to build our fires with…the way we camp we are all drawn up in line of battle, ready for any emergency and then stack our arms. Then the order go for rails…you should see the scampering…they have…Virginia rail fences here…there are a great many rails in a little fence…it takes but a little while to [it] tear down…the next morning…we commenced to see signs of rebels. We were outside of our pickets and our cavalry was skirmishing all the time…we saw several rebel prisoners and two or three dead bodies of rebels…on the road we saw more dead rebels and also a cannon which had ben planted in the road, but was taken by our advance guard…our advance was skirmishing with rebel pickets all of the time. The rebels were thick enough round there…we heard cannon firing in advance and in a little while we were ordered to open right and left to let our artillery go ahead…our force…consisted of about twenty regiments of infantry, a regiment of cavalry and a regiment of artillery consisting of forty five guns of different size…we came to a large opening and were all drawn up in line of battle…a strange feeling came over me. I was not afraid of being shot or killed, but could not help thinking of home and what you would all do if I should happen to have a ball put into me…we stayed there…all night…we started for Kinston…the battery which we were to support was brought up and commenced shelling the woods…our advance brigade entered the woods and…could be heard volley after volley…then our battery advanced into the woods…our brigade went in the following order, 17th, 23rd, 45th, 43rd. We were on a road that led right through the woods to a bridge that leads to Kinston…how the balls did rattle…we could not see no rebels…we came out into a large open place right in front of an intrenchment of the enemy…our battery and cavalry advanced. Then the cavalry made a charge just as tight as they could go across the field. They were armed with carbines, revolvers and sabers…they fired…followed by the artillery at double quick which opened fire…soon decided the battle in our favor. The forty fifth which were ahead of us…kept down the road instead of turning off and were soon in the thickest of the fight. They had several killed and wounded…about two o'clock the battle was won and we were in possession of the bridge…our battery decided the battle…there were only three of four thousand rebels and about the same number of our side engaged…our loss in killed and wounded was greater than theirs, but we took about 400 prisoners, who could not get across the bridge…we crossed th bridge to Kinston and staid there all night. In the morning we…destroyed the bridge and started for Whitehall…the reason for burning the bridge was that no rebels might come across and attack our rear…we arrived at Whitehall, a town of five houses…and then commenced the battle. There is a bridge that leads from Whitehall…our object was to destroy it. The rebels…retreated across the river, on the other side of the river, they had strong entrenchment's…the 17th and 23rd were ordered to the river when the rebels opened on them…then commenced the slaughter…we with the 45th were stationed on the road that led to the river…on our left were four of our batteries firing over our heads…we had to lay on our faces to escape our own fire…our own batteries killed a great many of our own men…the firing was one steady noise…it was a regular artillery fight…we with the 45th were ordered in. We got up and started when we [were] ordered to fall on our faces again. We could not go without being killed by our own guns. The balls went right over our heads…the rebels burned the bridge themselves…so we started for Goldsboro…the balls came so thick…the first one hit was Ed Benner…one of Co. E's men [Isaac Y. Smith]…was laying within fifteen feet of me and I was looking at him when a twenty pound round shot…cut off his arm and went right through his side into the ground…he never knew what killed him…one of the gunners was just entering the woods when a ball went through his heart. One of Co. K's men had a bullet go through his cartridge box…the color sergeant [Theodore Parkman] of the forty fifth was killed, a tree within twenty feet of me was cut in two by a cannon ball…the 43rd was detailed to act as baggage guard…we had to keep up with the wagons…the battery together with Co's F., I and E as skirmishers…went into the woods…we had one man killed and two or three wounded when the rebels burned the bridge. Our skirmishers staid in the woods till one o'clock in the morning…the battle of Kinston was fought Sunday and I could not help thinking how differently you were engaged…we were allowed to forage and we used it to kill every cow, pig, chicken, goose and everything we saw…went into every house along the road…we camped in Kinston. Our camp was right in the rear of one of the main streets…the boys took everything they could lay hands on. I did not take anything…but went into one house and the occupants gave me the doctor [?] and some eggs…in the middle of the night some one set fire to some of the stores in the Main street and they had a big fire, but by pulling other buildings down they stopped it. The cavalry regiment has the greatest set of dare devils…they go anywhere and do anything…after the battle of Kinston they made a dash on a seven gun battery in the woods above town and took it without firing a gun. The rebels thought the whole army was after them…I did not feel like running when I went into those battles and though the balls fell pretty thick…I should have done my share…a Merry Christmas to all at home…your won, affectionate son, Coleman…". The original transmittal cover is included. VG.
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