Attacking the Norfolk RR Outside Petersburg in 1864

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

A nice war-date Union officer's, 3pp. 8vo., letter written in ink by Lt. William H. Broughton, Co. D, 16th Maine Vols., Petersburg, [Va.], July 1, 1864 to his father concerning events before Cold Harbor and Petersburg, reading, in part: "…we are now lying in line of battle…our regiment is in the second line. As you do not…know much about breast works I will explain how we have ours built…we first drive stakes into the ground and pile logs and rails 3 or 4 feet high, then we throw up dirt from the outside, making the works 2 or 3 feet [thick] at the top and still thicker, of course, as it rolls down to the bottom, but sometimes [we] also dig into the ground behind the works…where we lay now…is a good deal of these small trees…on the left of us they have…another way of making it rather rough to get up to the works. It is done by sharpening poles and sticking them into the ground making a kind of fence…after the first of June 17 we advance in line…without meeting the enemy…in the afternoon we were ordered to move down onto the Norfolk R.R…the R.R. was cut into the ground some 20 feet making the banks rather steep. The Rebs had breast works about 300 yards on the other side and commanding the place we had to advance over. We advanced…by regiment. We were lying down and the order was given…and way we went…as fast as our legs would carry us. When I got onto the R.R. I…split myself laughing to see the men come [over] the bank. They came tumbling down every which way, every regiment but ours in the Brigade lost…men, but we fortunately did not lose a man…". 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. Some spotting, else very good.

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