Raynors HCA 2016-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/17/2016
A great Confederate soldier's letter, 2pp. 4to., by Pvt. James F. Cameron, [KIA Gettysburg, 7/2/63], Co. B, 11th Alabama Infantry, Manassas Junction, Va., Dec. 29, [1861], in part: "…I am still staying here at Manassas guarding baggage. I am in very good health…I suppose you all have heard of the battle of Dranesville. It proved to disastrous to our forces. Our regiment fortunately was not in it. I have since heard that it was advertised in [the] Eutaw [Alabama] Whig..our regiment was in the fight and I was fearful that you…would be uneasy about my well fare…our regiment has moved from Centreville and are now camped near the Line's house on Bull Run, one quarter of a mile this side of the battleground. [We] are building winter quarters…I sorter regret to leaves here. I have got usted to staying here and fare so much better here than at the regiment. They do not fare much better than ours. I am faring finely…I built me a nice rock chimney to my tent…Jan. 1st 1862…there are a great dying in the hospital…from 4 to 5 a day. Great many are wound men that got hurt at the battle of Dranesville. That battle was a severe loss to our side. The Tenth Alabama regiment was cut to pieces…our side lost 70ty men killed. Our general made a mistake in calculations of enemy forces. We afterwards learnt from prisoners that [the] enemy was 15,000 strong while our forces was only 2500. Our daed men was brought to Bristoe Station 5 milks able here and buried. Gen. Stewart [JEB Stuart] went back next day after the battle with 30,000 men to give them another trial but [the] Yankess had left. Ther loses could not be ascertained for they had buried all ther dead. The citizens of Dranesville say that the Yankees lost over 300 men killed and great many wounded. Our most lamented loss was [Lieut.] Col. [James B.] Martin [10th Alabama]. His corpse lay at my tent door one night. They brought his body here to put it on the cars to send it home [he is buried in Jacksonville Cemetery]…Jas. F. Cameron." Most of Cameron's phonetic spelling has been corrected. Expected soiling and folds, else VG. 800-1000
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