Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union officer's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Lt. William H. Mickle [WIA Gettysburg, 7/01/63], 134th New York (as staff officer to the chief of artillery 20th Corps), "Hd. Qrs. Arty. Brig. 20th A. C., Goldsboro, N. C., Mar. 27, 1865," in part: "…we have waded through hardships & trails from Savannah to this place besides the innumerable swamps & rivers. Our march has visited the legitimate results of war on the people of S. Ca. & many in N. Ca. but in many instances S. Ca. suffered more than any of her sister states…her people were the first to bring this horrid war, had suffered little as yet while other states…had borne the burden of the conflict and last they were a set of braggarts…she will remember that it is not a little thing to try to destroy a government like ours…we had to bridge & corduroy half the distance & we came about five hundred miles without reaching a base. We…subsisted almost entirely on the country. When we arrived here thousands of the men were barefoot & many lad lived for days on parched corn yet they never murmured, all were confident of success…our late campaign swept the entire coast & cut their communications thoroughly in both North & South Carolina…we had but two fights large enough to claim the title of a battle…on the 16th & 19th…our Corps played…its part as usual & we did give them a nice whipping. It was perfectly grand, the way our batteries used theirs up & both in the open field; we killed all their horses, on one piece some…several on the caissons & limbers besides knocking the men about generally. Genl. Rhett of Fort Sumter fame had a division of Charleston troops intended "cleaning the Yanks out"…but the "poor fool" was captured & he lost about 300 of his men besides two pieces of artillery…on the 19th Joe Johnston intended to crush our column before those moving on other roads could reach us…but they only mixed up a few of the 14th Corps (although there were 5 Rebs to one of the 14th) before we came up & captured two pieces of Arty…as soon as we could form our line & unlimber our batteries we gave them a severe repulse…they made repeated assaults on our lines. Our loss was about 1500 & theirs over 3000. Since then we have seen but little of Joe Johnston or his Gray Backs. We are resting in one of their important towns…I presume those who can appreciate our late campaign are rejoicing…on the 16th as the 14th Corps passed us to form in line of battle. I found Cousin Edmund Pearsoll…he gave me the sad intelligence that [Corp.] Albert Slater [34th Illinois] was killed last summer [at Rescaca] on the Atlanta campaign. How strange that Uncle Marquis should not know it!…I left Ned sick in Savannah, probably shall never see him again, have another boy whose name is Charley, a bright young nigh & all Darkey…you need not hesitate about the address. Always put [on] it the 20th Corps & it will come through. Now you may put on Goldsboro, N. Ca. instead of Savannah, Ga…ever, William." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG to near fine.
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