Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
A good war-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 4to. & 2pp. 8vo. (totaling 6pp.), written by Pvt. Henry H. Fulton, Co. E, 20th Ohio Vols. [shot by Rebel guerrillas near Pine Level, N. C.,4/10/65; DOW Raleigh, 4/12/65], "Camp near Tiffin [?], Miss., July 3, 1863," to his father, in part: "…we left nearly two weeks ago and are now encamped near Big Black river…thirteen miles distant from Vicksburg. We are awaiting an attack from Johnson. He is reported crossing the river. Gen. McArthur who has command of the forces her was down to the river yesterday. He said Johnson was ready to cross and had artillery planted on the hills so that we could not get within two miles of the bridge. McArthur is going to let Johnson cross and attack him…we are fortified and they will have to fight us in our fortifications. Our pickets caught a messenger going from Johnson to Pemberton telling him to try and cut his way out [on] the 4th and he would attack us here…we will not have long to wait. If Johnson does make an attack he will be the worst whipped general that ever fought Grant. Our men have commenced blowing up the Rebel fortifications at Vicksburg. Logan's division blew one up yesterday. One of our boys was into our old camp and saw it. He said that it threw sow of the rebs thirty feet high. It threw eight men inside of our lines. One of them a major. They were all killed except one and he was a niger [known only to us as Tom who later worked for the U. S. Quartermaster Department]. After the fort was blowed up they fought with shell thrower over with the hands. Our men would light the fuse of a twenty four pound shell and send it over among the rebs when it would burst. You could see men and arms and legs flying through the air…the rebs served us the same way. Our men now have wooden cannon planted within thirty feet of the forts so that the rebs cant se them. They load them with twenty four pound shell and it just takes one a half ounces of powder to throw a shell into the forts. They don't make much noise and the rebs don't know where the shell come from…Vicksburg will be our possession within the next week…I saw three or four Regts of Pennsylvania troops..I do not know what part of Pennsylvania…we just marched through their camp. They belong to Burnside and come from Kentucky. Burnside's troops are all in the rear of Vicksburg. There are no troops around there but the ones that crossed the river at Grand Gulf…Col. Force is ow commanding this brigade…he will soon get a commission as brigadier…he deserves it but we will be sorry to loose him. He was one of the best colonels in the service. The Regt is now commanded by a captain. Major Fry is on Logan's staff and Lieut. Col. Mackelroy is on Gen. Cox's staff in Western Virginia. I heard form Ed Knox yesterday. He is in the hospital in Memphis and doing well…I have not seen Will Bell since we left Vicksburg but he was well…we also heard that Lee was marching north and was already in Chambersburg. I hope he is. If he gets into the north and burns and destroys some of the sympathizers property it will bring them to their senses…I have seen Gov. Tod's call for 30,000 men. I hope the abolitionists will get a chance to go into the army…I hope you will not vote for Valandigham nor any of his fellows. They call themselves peace men but they are doing more to keep up the war than any other sect…Henry." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG
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