Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
A good war-date Union officer's letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Lt. William H. Mickle [WIA Gettysburg, 7/01/63], 134th New York (as staff officer to the chief of artillery 20th Corps), "Head Quarters Arty. Brigade, 20th Corps, Before Atlanta, Ga., Aug. 22, 1864", to his parents, in part: "…we are a little closer the city than when last I wrote…had some fine artillery duels. Yesterday morning at 4…we opened all our batteries on the Rebs…& waked them up in considerable confusion. Each battery fired 72 rounds as fats as they could load & fire. It was splendid…to see the shells exploding along the Rebel lines. Our cavalry under Kilpatrick has moved around to the enemy's rear & cut the Rail Road so that it threatens their supplies quite seriously…it will starve them out. On our right we had quite a little engagement yesterday. We have always whipped them…they are deserting some & we capture many of them in skirmishes…Major [Thomas Ward] Osborn is back to the army. His leg nearly well, walks with a cane. He is chief of artillery of the Department of the Tennessee with Genl. Howard wants me to come with him there…I fear it will meet with too much opposition at the Army of the Cumberland as they don't like to transfer any men…I hope the draft will be rigidly enforced & the army filled up as it ought to have been…last year. If this had been done & the $300 clause repudiated…we would have seen Rebellion forever wiped out…all the troops the Rebs could possibly get including old men & boys…have been put in their two armies of Virginia & Georgia…with Grant…if he had his army reinforced by (100,000)…he could encompass Richmond far enough to cut off all their communications and force them to come out of their works & attack us or surrender…if we had (50,000)…more men here we could gobble the entire Rebel army in ten days…had men been procured instead f money we could have had the required number of men now…Ever, William." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG to near fine
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