Our Cause Grows Stronger & Stronger While The Federals Occupy James Island

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2019

A good war-date Confederate cavalry officer's letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Capt. Alfred B. Mulligan, [WIA Burgess' Mill, Va., Oct. 27, 64], Co. B, 5th South Carolina Cavalry, "Camp De Veaux," June 8, 1862, to his mother, in part: "…we are still at Camp De Veaux…we will likely remain here for a few weeks…if we go to Hendersonville our men would have to ride some twenty odd miles to picket& it would be entirely too hard for both them & their horses…the foe is landing forces on James' Island in about ten miles of Charleston &…they are fortifying themselves there strongly…they will advance slowly until they get to the side of the island opposite the city & then shell the city…it is very much doubted whether…they can take Charleston. I don't believe they can. We are giving them all they can do in Tennessee, Virginia & Maryland…I don't think they can afford to put an army sufficiently strong to take Charleston from the island & the climate will operate very much against them…we have a strong force in Charleston & on James Island…some ten to twelve thousand…we can put twenty thousand men there…if Georgia can help us a little…as the summer approaches our cause grows stronger & stronger. I trust & hope this summer will close the war & that we will all be allowed by fall to return to our houses & businesses…under our "vines & fig trees" unmolested…this is Sunday. We have no preacher in our camp…a good many of my men are members of church & they are singing, but we want a chaplain badly…Lieut. Green was appointed Quarter Master of the squadron, so that I am without all officers…I have been in command of the Battalion…being the oldest Capt. (Holding the oldest commission, I mean)…I am constantly surrounded by a crowd & have so many things to prevent me from writing…A. B. Mulligan." Near fine.

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