Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
A rare account regarding Booth's demise, Johnson's surrender and the disaster of the Sultana as seen through the eyes of Pvt. George S. Youngs' mother, Effie S. Youngs, 4pp. 8vo., Waterloo, [N. Y.], April 28, 1865, to her soldier son, in part: "…Pa has just laid down the newspaper and gone to bed and as it contains an account of Booth the assassin of our much loved and honored President as it contains an account of his being shot and killed I hardly know how to go to bed without reading it as Pa did not read that [part out] loud…I am afraid to begin for I shall not know where to leave off…it appears by his letter that they have had a very hard time on their last march. More so than ever before. We hope it is the last march to be made for the purpose of meeting the enemy to fight…there are enough of them here…it is very provoking to hear of their traitorous expressions…it appears the surrender of Johnston's army is at last confirmed. We were surprised to hear that General Sherman offered such easy terms to Johnson…he has accomplished so much it is too bad that he has at the close of the war lost his reputation, but it cannot be helped now…the papers are full of reports about Booth being shot and the disposition made of the body which was sewed up in a blanket and to be put in a place of concealment that none might know where it was and that before the remains of our late President reached its last resting place there is an account of a sad accident which happened on the James river [actually the boiler explosion of the Sultana on the Mississippi River laden the paroled POWs]…exchanged prisoners were aboard on their way north. I have forgotten the number lost but it was a great many and it is indeed painful to hear of their being on their way home and in an unexpected moment they are called to die…Effie G. Youngs." VG
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