September 22, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/22/2011
War-date Union soldier's Autograph Letter Signed by Charles William Personius, 50th New York Engineers, 6pp. quarto, Camp Lesley, Head Quarters of the 50th Regiment of NY S Volunteers, Halls Hill, Virginia, October 5, 1861, with patriotic cover, it reads in part: "...I can hear martial music and the long roll sound two or three miles in our advance, probably they have had an alarm. There has been firing today in our advance from our light artillery which is stationed about 1/2 mile ahead of us and an attack is expected but they will find strong lines to break through...took a ramble through the capitol and public buildings you cannot imagine the splendor and magnificence of the public buildings and especially the capitol. The basement is used as a bakery for the army and of the amount baked you can form no idea. Washington is quite a handsome city and it is a nice thing to get there. You have to get a pass from the Col. and then got and get it countersigned by the brigadier gen. and then get it countersigned by the Provost Marshall. Gen Porter our commander of this Division is Provost Marshall for this district. It takes about 1/2 day to get a pass...We have some hard days when on guard or picket duty the rebel occupied this place ten days ago, also Munson Hill , Uptons Hill and Falls Church all are now occupied by the Federal army. There was bomb shell found on our camp by the boys when we came here that was thrown by the Rebels...it is a great sight to look over the surface of old Virginia, there has not been anything raised here this year...while you see an old house partly tore down windows out and everything going to decay you more frequently see chimney stacks as monuments of some burnt mansion. Union men destroy secession property and Rebels destroy Union mens property so that between the two Virginias is a barren waste..." Fine condition.
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