Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 7pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Coleman Tilden, Co. H, 43rd Mass. Vols., Newbern, [N. C.], May 11, 1863, to his parents, in part: "…our colonel favors us in every way he can. I never saw the beat of it. When we came out here every man was down on him. They thought he was just nobody at all. Now there is not a man in the regiment, but what fairly love him. every man places perfect confidence in him. They would all go wherever he would lead them. Col. Codman of the 45th wants to go into a fight and his men say he would sacrifice every one of them to get his name up. Our colonel is no such man. He wants to take as many men home as he can…a new order was read from Gen. Foster…the order read that as a great many of the men wanted to go to church Sunday and…some order must be observed. It was ordered that every Sunday…the regiment should be drawn up in line and those who wanted to go to church to give in their names and the church they wanted to attend and then be put into squads under the charge of a non-commissioned officer who was to see that they went to church and came back safe…this morning we had to dress up, dress coats, sloes blacked and go out on the parade ground…but no Gen. Foster must have us go through a great parade…[Wednesday morning on picket]…I am on picket about a mile and half from camp…on the other side of the Trent river…it takes about thirty five men from the regiment every day…the post I am on…is an inner post right at the junction of two roads…we have…to examine passes and stop all persons whose pass is not properly signed…there are two men and a corporal besides myself on this post…there is a report…that the Army of the Potomac have had another great battle and again been defeated. I hope it is not so. They seem to meet with very poor success there. I suppose, if Hooker has been defeated that they will try to get another new general. That seems to be the way in Virginia, a new general after every battle…that Virginia army must be about killed off…when are they going to begin the draft…they would need the men now…all those nine months men going out of service will make a big hole…there is eight nine months regiments from Mass. here whose time expires in a very short time. They have either got to draft the men pretty quick or else they have got to take them away from other places to send here…Coleman." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG.
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