2022-11 Raynors HCA Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/18/2022
A grisly war-date Union soldier's letter, 6 1/2pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Alfred A. Thayer, Co. B, 96th Ohio Vols., "Camp near Cynthiana," [Kentucky], Oct. 23, 1862, reading, in part: "-there has been 40 rebels been taken here since we came here & one night there was one hundred & 75 brought from down by Lexington, took in a battle. They had plenty of bullet holes threw there clothes. They said that they had not drew any thing from the government since [they were inducted] in service except there guns & ammuniteion. Some of them was very well dress[ed] & some very poor. In that number one captain, one lieutenant, one regiment quartermaster. A few days ago they had a skirmish here. The rebels loss is 14 that was buried in the graveyard-[they rebels] had not time to stay any longer so they cut them open [their dead] & put stones in them & threw them in the river so we don't know how many they loss. We lost 12 men. They burnt all the bridges threw here. I have been working on them. I worked 2 days in Falmouth. The last half day I was detailed to go 18 miles on the han[d] car with fore others to get the asure [?] of a bridge that was burnt. It was one hundred & twenty feet long. We started about 2 o'clock & gut back about 8 o'clock. It was a miserable old car. They said it was a very hard half day work & at twelve at nite we ware called up to cook for a march. At 10 we started & marched 25 miles. the roads was strung with them that gave out. We took wagons and horses and drivers-to haul our knapsacks & the men that gave out. When we got to camp we had only 22 men in our company. I was one of them but was so tired could hardly grunt. Toes & heals in a blister but I ant a cake yet-Bill Brock was one that was left behind. Some of the boys feet, the blood was coming out-the nite we get hear we laid til midnight without any blankets-til the teams come up. We had no water the hole 1/2 day only our canteens full in the morning. We can drink anything. We drove hogs out of the mud holes and drank harry. That is arite. The rebels fare worse than that. This rebellion is winding up as fast as possible. The rebs say that they will be taken prisoners rather than go back in the mountains again-A. A. Thayer." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Thayer's phonetic spelling and loose grammar had been corrected. Light soiling, else VG
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