Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
War-date Union soldier's letter, 9+pp. 8vo. and several some smaller scraps, written by Pvt. George S. Youngs, [POW Harper's Ferry, Va., 9/15/62], Co. G, 126th New York Vols., "2nd Corps Headquarters near Milford Station, Va., May 21-24, 1864," in very, very small part: "…about ten o'clock last night we were ordered to get up…and pack up and get ready to move…march ed a mile in rear of the first Division…halted for the trains and the rest of the Corps to pass. The wagons have all the covers taken off that they may not be seen. It was daylight this morning when the rear of the column passed us and we immediately fell in and followed. We got orders…crowd the men right up and if they could not keep up to cut their knapsacks off…and if we could not do better to break their guns up and keep them up…as all that fell out would…be taken prisoners. We passed a very neat Brick Church this morning…there was a marble slab on the door with the words Massaponox Church…about four o'clock…we passed by the village of Bowling Green quite a neat little place but most of the houses were a dirty color. The day has been very warm and we have had hard work to keep up the stragglers…one of the couriers that Gen. Hancock sent back to army headquarters was taken prisoner…the Rebs have established a picket post on the road where we stopped…thus our communication is cut off and we are all alone…the cavalry are having a pretty sharp fight out in front…we had to cut the knapsacks off of several men to keep them up and have broken more than twenty guns. Headquarters are at a house…though the Gen. very rarely uses one himself…the proprietor of this house has "runned away" and left his drakes here…[May 22]…the cavalry have had a little skirmish out in front…on post number five, second relief over the prisoners…[May 23]…the fifth and sixth Corps trains passed out to the front this morning…we left Headquarters this morning at seven…with the prisoners…a shaper fight commenced and lasts till dark. Our fellows charged and drove the Johnnies to the other side of the river…the prisoners with us say that it is two miles from the river to Hanover Junction and from there to Richmond it is twenty seven miles…we are nearer Richmond than I ever was before. The Reb prisoners say that we can never cross the river here, that their position on the other side is impregnable but…since Grant flanked them out of their position the other day I have almost unlimited confidence in him…one of the 7th Virginia…says that it is generally believed by their army that if our army should succeed in taking theirs that their throats would be cut or they would be held as slaves and treated worse than any slave in the South. It does not seem possible that such stuff can be believed…but he…asked us if we did not think that men with such a belief would fight to the death…they all have a perfect hatred of Butler and say they should dread to fall in his hands…[May 24 near Hanover Junction, Va.]…General Burnside has been here at Headquarters several times today. He is a much younger and more dashing looking man than I had supposed him. Wears side whiskers an mustache a la militaire. Wears a short round about coat and his pants in his boots and is altogether what the boys call a gay duck. His Corps flag is a white field with a blue border in the centre is a blue shield with an anchor in white and a cannon in red crossed. It makes a very pretty flag…moved headquarters half a mile nearer to the front. Fighting was pretty heavy form that time till dark. About a dozen of us were sent out patrolling and sending the strays to the front…we have nothing to do but listen to the fighting…the loss has been very heavy on the right today…Geo. S. Youngs…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Overall VG
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