Raynors HCA 2017-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2017
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 3 1/4pp. 4to., written by Pvt. Charles W. Manning, Co. B, 13th Mass. Vols., Head Quarters 5th Army Corps, Culpeper, Va., Apr. 9, 1864, in part: "…there has been a great change since I last wrote…the old First Corps is now something that was. We now belong to the "flower of the Army of the Potomac" as to "Meade's Pets"…they bust us up with a rush…Genl. Grant came down here the same…morning the order came out…the next day Genl. Warren came up here and took command of us and Genl. Newton left with the most of his staff…the Hd. Qurt. Guard of the 5th Army Corps came up here…we expected to be sent back to our Regts. We stayed two or three days…received orders to clean up around the hotel where Genl. Warren was staying. We had two or three of the hardest days work that I have ever done…after that the Genl. issued an order to detail 25 men and a serge. as mounted pioneers to go ahead of the Corps train…about the same time the adjutant Genl. told him to detail 2 more of his men as private orderlies for the Genl…I was one of the lucky ones for that job…I like my job first-rate and I like the appearance of the Genl…the Genl. has us come right into his room, something that I never saw done before. Genl. Grant has his head quarters at the same house that Genl. Newton has had all winter. He [Grant] is very plain dressed and quite an unassuming man…I cannot see anything about his looks that is very smart, altho you cannot always tell 'how far a toad will jump by the looks of him'. He is making great preparations for the coming campaign and I would not be surprised if 'Richmond went up this summer if not before…Chas. W. Manning…". Minor toning, else VG
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