Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union officer's letter, 4pp. 4to., written, on "Head-Quarters Artillery Brigade, 20th Army Corps" stationery, by Lt. William H. Mickle [WIA Gettysburg, 7/01/63], 134th New York (as staff officer to the chief of artillery 20th Corps), "Savannah, Ga., Jan. 17, 1865," in part: "…we are now pulling up to move our quarters into South Ca. and for the next month…do not expect to lay still…Sherman has the ball rolling & proposes to keep it moving until this affair is wound up…the Georgia Militia that fought here at Savannah & ran away from us through S. Ca. have gone to their homes again & will not help S. Ca. in her defense against Sherman's Vandals. Her newspapers blow a great deal & lay out huge plans & campaigns but they will prove about as efficient in stopping our advance as newspaper fighting usually does…if you learn that we have invested Charleston or even destroyed her you need not be astonished as Sherman does "big things"…I would not speak…in a boosting manner for it will be a reality & no day dream…we shall make short work of South Carolina unless Jeff Davis can afford to loose Richmond & send Lee's army down against us…we have cut the Confederacy permanently in two…if we move on the R. Rds in the Carolinas how is Lee's army to be supplied…Hood was badly used up by Thomas in Tenn…& will scarcely get far this way to molest us…while Thomas will follow him & keep his attention…our army under Sherman have become so confident of victory at each engagement that sometimes I think they become reckless. It is surpassing to see how they will rush after anything that looks like a Reb & charge their strong lines with as much confidence of capturing them as that they exist. Such troops cannot be easily defeated. They may sometimes be whipped in battle but never really whipped. The health of our troops is excellent & every body seems anxious to get into S. Ca…those printed sermons were preached by Bishop [Stephen] Elliot of the Episcopal Church of Ga. who ran away from Savannah for fear of the Yankees just before we entered. See what he says…such men have done more to deceive the Southern people & keep up the war than a corps of soldiers. I wish we could get hold of him…we start tomorrow & cut loose again for a time to go raiding into the bowels of the Confederacy…William. Direct, W. H. Mickle a. a. a. g. Artillery Brigade, 20th Corps, Savannah, Ga." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Overall VG to near fine.
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