With the 16th Maine on the Gettysburg Campaign

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/31/2006

A good war-date Union officer's, 4pp. 8vo., letter written in pencil by Lt. William H. Broughton, Co. D, 16th Maine Vols., "Camp behind a stone wall, [South Mountain, Md.], July 9, 1863" to his father outlining his regiment's duties during the Gettysburg campaign, reading, in part: "…we are lying on top of the South Mountain in line of Battle. We came through The Gap where the battle of South Mountain was fought last year…and formed a line of battle in the woods…as soon as we stacked arms we were ordered to throw up a breastwork…before many minutes a long line of stone wall could be traced through the woods…I should not be surprised if our Corps laid here to hold this gap. Most of the army is ahead of us…we had been marching pretty hard, and one day…I had to be detailed as Lieut. of the Brigade Guard, which kept me up most of the night…it was our Regt's turn to go on picket and we had to travel about five miles…we had just got into the land of milk and honey…anything they wanted they could get with or without money, it made no difference…our regiment being on picket had the advantage of the rest…at 8 P.M. we broke out the picket line and moved back where we left the brigade, but there was no brigade there…I got a pass from the Colonel to fall out, but I did not like the idea of being left in the rear of the army…we did not get more than an hour's sleep before we took up the line of march. I…boarded an ambulance and…our Corps marched a good smart, 27 miles. In…of 24 hours our Regt, passed over 40 miles…on the morning of the first of July, I got into the ambulance and laid down, but pretty quick I heard cannonading on ahead…[I] left my blankets, slung my sword to me, and started on after the Regt I got up to them but just then they started off on the double quick…so I sat down a few minutes…the shell commenced to fly pretty thick, I concluded to go to the rear …on the fifth…I joined the Regt, and am now in pretty good condition. Our Regt now numbers 41 men for duty…all I have to say is 'Bully for Portland'…". Ten days after his sixteenth birthday, Broughton enlisted in 1862 as a private in the 16th Maine. He became one of the army's youngest officers by being promoted to lieutenant by the end of the year. After the battle of Gettysburg, he commanded a company due to the heavy losses his regiment sustained during the battle. He served faithfully throughout the remainder of the war and was captured at the battle of Weldon Railroad, Va. on Aug. 13, 1864, and was paroled after being held a short time at Libby prison. He was discharged on June 5, 1865. Minor spotting, else very good.

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