Raynors HCA 2016-10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2016
A good war-date Union officer's letter, 7pp. 8vo., written by Lt. William M. Thurston, Battery F (Ricketts), 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, "Camp near Brandy Station, Va., Mar. 1, 1864, in part: "…we found some changes and marching orders. The 6th and 3rd Corps have gone and we look to go soon. I have been busy organizing my detachment…the rain has been falling fast all night which may prevent a general move at least I hope so. I found my little horse all right, but he has had a hard master…we left Chester…the 27th at 6 p. m…we passed thru Wilmington, Delaware, a beautiful city with 23 thousand inhabitants…when we came to Baltimore…we went to the Union Relief and asked for assistance which they refused. We broke it open and helped ourselves. They brought a guard to arrest us, but after we ate our fill we opened a back door and escaped…took the train for Washington. The train was loaded down with soldiers. The 19th Indiana regiment and 1000 recruits besides our company were all on the one train. We occupied the front cars…one man of the 19th fell from the train killing him…also a man working on the bridge near Washington was struck by the engine and thrown a distance of fifty feet killing him instantly. We arrived in Washington at 3 p. m. We marched in the soldier's manner, partook of refreshments. I…took a walk to the Capital…I found it to be a finer…structure than I had thought…everything looks like work. Thousands of men are coming to the army every day. The strength of the regiments are good and you can look for active operations as soon as the weather permit. I hope…to put an end to this Bloody Struggle…went down the Potomac to Alexandria…on a high hill is Fort Washington mounting some two hundred cannon lending defiance to any hostile fleet…the Virginia shore bristling with cannon, also the white tents of Camp Distribution and Convalescent…the Potomac..[is] all dotted with little crafts as well as large ships…with colors flying in the breeze…we took the train at Alexandria 10 AM…arriving here at 6 p. m…W. Thurston, Battery F, 1st Pa. Artillery, 2nd Corps…". Light soiling, else VG
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