Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
War-date Union soldier's letter, 22pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. George S. Youngs, [POW Harper's Ferry, Va., 9/15/62], Co. G, 126th New York Vols., [n. p., n. d., but near Spotsylvania Court House, Va., May 3rd-20th, 1864], in very, very small part: "…Major Bull is the Provo's Marshal. Capt. McCune asst. Provos marshal. Capt. caveat commands the guard…I propose to give you an account of the most interesting events…as they occurred to me…on the third day of May…we received orders to pack up and be ready to march….none of the troops were allowed to take down their tents until dark that the movement might not be observed by the Rebels from their lookout station…ammunition and supply trains were ready and some of the in motion…Charley Andrews and I went down to the road…and had a long talk of past, present and future. The first faint streaks of dawn were lighting up the east…I had on a pair of boots when I started. They did not fit me perfectly and before I had travelled five miles I was completely crippled…the road was strewn with blankets and clothing. At one place where the road was bad the Pioneers mended it with woolen blankets for the artillery to cross…arrived at Chancellorsville about four…put on a pair of shoes I picked up on the road. There is a great quantity of old iron lying around loose on the field…we have had hard work to keep the men closed up…[Thursday the 5th]…Gregg's and Stuart's cavalry have had a pretty sharp fight and skedaddlers report that Gregg has been driven badly…shortly after we got here a heavy musketry fight commenced and quickly grew into one awful and continuous roar…thirty of us were detailed to deploy in the rear of the line of battle and drive all stragglers and D. Bs into the fight. The wounded are coming to the rear in great numbers. The fight continued with unabated fury till after dark. General Hays is reported killed. The woods are so dense as to prevent the use of artillery…the Pioneers are engaged in throwing up breastworks…[May 6]…a man fired a gun in a field close to us…Capt. McCune sent one of the boys to arrest him. He brought him in and we found that he had shot himself through the hollow of his hand in order to get out of the fight . I never saw a man more angry than the Capt. was. Now say he, "You ___ Coward I'll put you in a place where you will get a ball in a worse place"…and he ordered to be taken to the line of battle and sent down on the skirmish line…[he] had not gone more than a rod when he fainted and fell to the ground. "Stick your bayonet in him" says the Capt…accordingly the bayonet was stuck in him. It revived him very quick. The corporal went a little farther with him and then let him go. Soon after daylight the fight opened again and soon grew as heavy as it was last night…we were…ordered to allow no one to go to the rear unless wounded…our Regt was down there and was pretty badly cut up…James Holenback was brought in on a stretcher pretty badly wounded. The ball entered his side and passed nearly through to the opposite side. The ball is yet in his body…detailed to Guard prisoners…one of them says that Gen. Longstreet is wounded…I asked him if he would no have been discharged at the expiration of that time and he said no. I asked him if he had reenlisted and he gave me the same answer…he says he came in our lines by mistake…I guess the mistake was made on purpose. Another prisoner…openly avows that he came in intentionally. He was conscripted…left a wife and children only a week ago…the woods have been on fire on all sides of us today and a great many of the wounded have probably been burned to death…[May 7]…there has been considerable skirmishing throughout the day…the drummers are all going up to the front to join their regts…the chaplain…says that there has been eight men killed and over sixty wounded in the Regiment. One of the patrols picked up one of the greenest men…he is a member of the 59th Mass…Capt. McCune…asked him what he was doing in the rear. He very innocently replied that when the Rebels began firing…he became frightened and ran to the rear. "You did, eh?…well now do know know what I am going to do with you? I am going to have you shot right away. Sergeant send me a file of men with loaded muskets." He took hold of the man and stood him up with his back to the barn…[he] asked him what his religion was. He said he was a catholic. The Capt. says send for a priest. Then he asked him if he was ready to die. He said he was. The boys all stood round laughing and the Capt. seeing he could not scare him said he guessed he would send him to the front…we asked him where they crossed the river. He didn't know…then they wanted to know what he crossed on. On a suspension bridge. After we got tired of tormenting him Major Bull came up and kicked him out of the Guard…Geo. S. Youngs…". Do to space we have only skimmed the surface of this letter's content up until May 7th while Youngs goes on in like detail until May 20th. During that time he mentions seeing Grant and Meade and their staffs together; the momentous fighting of Spotsylvania where Arnold's battery lost a gun; escorting rebels prisoners from Spotsylvania including Confederate General Johnson; seeing a man amputate his own leg; burial parties sickened by the sight of the battlefield; and very much more like content on charges; cannon firing; dead men and even one poor fellow who lost both legs and one arm, but who was still alive when taken off the battlefield on a stretcher. The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Overall VG
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