Raynors HCA 2016-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/17/2016
War-date Union soldier's battle letter, 7pp. 8vo., written, on McClellan and "Union Forever" patriotic stationery, by Pvt. George S. Youngs, [POW Harper's Ferry, Va., 9/15/62], Co. G, 126th New York Vols., Camp Douglas, Chicago. Ill., Sept. 30, 1862, in part: "…I have been here long enough…it is reported…that we are to be armed and equipped and sent to Minnesota to fight the indians which is believed to be in direct violation of our parole, but we are not certain as we have not received them nor have they ever been read to us…the lake [Michigan] is not quite a quarter of a mile from the camp…[on their capture] the first shell which struck near us was thrown from a battery on Louden Heights which cannonaded our position. It struck a tree and burst. One piece glanced off and struck a stack of guns and knocked them all to pieces. The same piece wounded two boys in Co. H. The Co. next to us on the right. We were immediately ordered to take our guns and lie down in the trenches. Other batteries were soon brought to bear on us and we lay there withe the shells flying over our heads so close that we would instinctively lay our heads close to the ground. They sung an uglier tune than the bullets did the day before. At night the firing ceased and we lay in expectation of an attack from the infantry but were disappointed as it did not come. The rebus succeeded in planting several other batteries during the night…in the morning they opened from every direction. In Co. B, the Co. next to us…there were several men killed by one shell…without bursting…it drove one man's canteen right through his body, took the top of another man's head off and killed two men instantly and wounded three others so that they died soon after. Fortunately not a man in our Co. was hurt. About nine o'clock General White surrendered to Jackson [with] about eleven thousand men with all their artillery, horse and baggage wagons. The rebels treated us like gentlemen in everyday…the boys generally acknowledged that we received much better treatment at their hands than they would have received at ours had our positions been reversed. We were told by them that [we] were to be paroled to go home. I therefore exchanged a canteen with a number of the First South Carolina rifles. He also cut a Palmetto button off his coat for me which I intend to bring home…the next morning we took up our line of march for Baltimore. When we got within eleven miles of the city were told we must go to Annapolis…we went up the Chesapeake bay on the steamers City of Norwich and John Tucker…reached here at nine Saturday night…we passed through Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and so far intuit he state of Illinois and besides that some of the boys have been in the state of intoxication…at Harpers Ferry we lost everything…if you can send ten dollars I shall appreciate it…George S. Youngs 126 regiment, N. Y. S. V…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Light soiling, else VG
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