Raynors HCA 2017-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2017
A great war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Charles W. Manning, Co. B, 13th Mass. Vols., "Head Quarters 1st Army Corps Encamped at Westminister, M. D., July 4-5, 1863", in part: "…I tell you what we have done since then…the next morning which was the 25th we struck camp and marched to Edward's Ferry where we crossed the Potomac & went as far…as Poolsville…the next morning e marched at daylight an went 20 miles . It rained all day and the roads were awful…marched 25 miles to a town called Emmittsburg. The next morning started again & went about a mail and 1/2 to the Pennsylvania line. Here we heard that the Rebs were in Gettysburg about 9 miles ahead…the 1st & 3rd divisions weer sent ahead and the 2nd division stopped with us as reserve. The next morning we started again and went to within a half of a mile of Gettysburg and drew the wagons into a field by the side of the road. At that time the 1st & 3rd divisions were already engaged with the Rebels. In a short time the 2nd division came up & then the whole corps was into it hot, ours being the only corps that had got up then. About noon one of Gen. Reynolds staff came back to the train for the general's baggage saying that he was killed. He was shot through the brain……there is not much of the 1st Corps left by this time…it is rumored that Col. Leonard was wounded and afterwards taken prisoner and also that there is only 75 of the 13th left…the loss of Gen. reynolds is quite a severe one for the army …he was as good a Genl. as the Army of the Potomac had…[July 5]…I saw Lew the day that we crossed the Potomac but have not seen him since…I am very anxious to hear from him for his Corps [3rd] has been into it hot as well as others…I am afraid that he has got hit this time…the whole train was ordered to this place which is 25 miles from Gettysburg…I hope that they will destroy the whole of Lee's army and now is the time if they are ever going to do it. We have got them on our own ground and a pretty good force of militia beside the Army of the Potomac. We have taken a lot of prisoners and I saw the Rebel Gen. Archer who was taken in the first squad of prisoners and whose name you will probably see in the papers…Chas. w. Manning…". Minor toning, else VG
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