Raynors HCA 2016-10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2016
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written, on illustrated "Life Scene in Camp" (an interesting choice considering the content) stationery, by Pvt. Robert Henry Greenfield, Co. I, 130th New York Vols., Suffolk, Va., Nov. 1, 1862, to his wife, in part: "…we have been on a big march and have mostly returned. Some of the boys have not got in camp yet…a great many of the boys fell out along the road and came in this evening…Mite was most tired…when we got in camp…Mite [Pvt. Milon Parker, Co. I, 1st New York Dragoons, DOD Washington 9/10/64 buried Arlington National Cemetery grave 13-8344] said Hank if we was home the Damn Union might go to Hell…we had some honey on the way back. We went into a house and took a bee hive and started for the woods…we marched twenty miles…our regiment was not in the battle for there was not enough rebels…our artillery opened on them in fifteen minutes we drove them back and silenced their guns, no one killed nor wounded on our side…our regiment was in the rear to guard the ambulances, wagons and horses…Mary I carry your likeness night and day…is all that keeps me from getting homesick. This is a destructive looking country round here for many miles not a fence to be seen and many barns torn down and houses torn to pieces. Everything looks like starvation here among the poor Southerners wives and children…my heart is not hard enough to go into a poor woman's house and take the last bit of provision in her house [but] there is them here that will do it and have done it. I stopped to a house the other day to fill my canteen with water and there I saw orderlies taking the last bit of bread in her house. Never asked her for it but go in her cellar and take it. I…see her crying…it makes me shudder to see that…she said her husband was dead and her only son was pressed in the rebel army and she would have to starve this winter…the soldiers had drove away her last cows and shot all her hogs…supposing the rebels was in our country…I would fight until the last minute. Our men wonder what makes the rebels fight…it is their homes…if our soldiers would shoot off half the officers this war would soon close…Robert H. Greenfield." VG
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