The 45th Georgia at Chancellorsville: "The Yankees Set Fire To The Woods."

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/20/2018

A great war-date Confederate soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Thomas T. Raines, Co. G, 45th Georgia Infantry (WIA Mechanicsville, Va., 6/26/62; POW Fort Stedman, Va. 3/25/65 confined Point Lookout, MD), Camp near Fredericksburg, [Va.], May 9, 1863 to his sister Carrie A. Raines, in part: "…I reached the Regt last Saturday and found the boys hunting about for a fight in which you may know I joined them in…we weren't long in getting into one…we lay in about two hundred yards on Saturday night and let the Yankees build their breastworks and…Sunday morning we made a charge on them and run them out…and took them ourselves killing a great many and taking several prisoners. Our loss was very light…Hardie and myself went through safe. Buddie was left behind as he was not mustered in but he went in with the 12th Ga. and got wounded in the arm. It is only a flesh wound…the battlefield was the worst sight I ever saw. I have been on battlefields before but this beats all. The Yankees set fire to the woods…we were fighting in and burnt up their dead and wounded. I saw a great many men with their flesh burnt off to their bones…some that could use their hands…scrape[d] away the leaves and sav[d] their lives. We drove them back on the other side of the river…I hope they will stay there…love to all…also to all inquiring friends and my duck, kiss her for me and tell me who it is you kissed…Thomas…I send you a ballad that I got in the fight…". Please see his sister's fiery Yankee "hate" letter elsewhere in this auction. Also included is a mid chest pose CDV of a young men by H. Noss, New Bridgton, Pa. Perhaps this is the "ballad" he sent home? Light spotting, else VG.

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