2022-11 Raynors HCA Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/18/2022
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Alfred A. Thayer, Co. B, 96th Ohio Vols., "Camp in front of Jackson, Mississippi, July 16, [1863]," reading, in part: "We left Vicksburg on the 5 & march 4 days, distant 50 miles then our brigade was thrown in line of battle, then thrown out as skirmishers in the advance, then ordered forward, then the grape began to come thick but there was but one that done any harm. That went whistling threw among us pretty sharp only killed one man. [18 year-old, Private Asbury Turner KIA July 10th, Buried Vicksburg National Cemetery, Grave 0-635.] We went on in a cornfield & [were] ordered to lay down. We laid there 4 ours. We pretty near melted then we were ordered back behind a fence. The rebs made several charges on our pickets but they drove them back. We have been called up in line every few minutes expect[ing] to be attacked but haven't yet, nothing more than poke fighting. On Sunday morning we had a general advance all around the lines & drove them back. We advanced 400 yards. Now we have breastworks-to protect us. They had a fight on the rite & took one thousand prisoners & made a charge on the left. The loss [was] pretty bad on both sides. They came out with the white flag to bury their dead then commenced again. There will be a very heavy fight. We had the place once but had to leave for Vicksburg. I wish they hadn't burnt it to the ground. It is the county seat of Mississippi but they will have to lose it again before long-[when we left Vicksburg] we had to leave everything in camp, only one suit [uniform] & rubber blanket-my last-father wanted to know whether Jack was a democrat. The talk was that if we got a democrat president that the war would be brought to a close & we all said if that would close the war we would all vote for a democrat-A. A. Thayer-". Thayer's phonetic spelling and loose grammar had been corrected. Minor soiling, else VG.
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