Raynors HCA 2017-12
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
A nice war-date Union officer's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by 2nd Lt. Ira F. Gensel, 4th United States Regular Infantry, [MWIA Fredericksburg, Va., 12/13/62 died 12/28/62], "Camp near Roper's Meeting House, James City County, Va., May 11, 1862", in part: "…how much truth in the saying "there is no Sundays in War time"…at Yorktown…we expected to go up York River on board transports…the order may be issued, tents pitched and destination fixed…the movements of the enemy have changed our whole programme and this…finds me on the Peninsula thirty miles from Richmond. The march has been a hard…one…on Thursday last I passed over the battlefield near Williamsburg. It was a hard fight and our loss heavy. I felt sorry to see so many of our brave men suffering so much from wounds…the town near where the battle was fought is a beautiful place. The finest Virginia town I have yet seen. The court houses, Williams and Mary's College and the churches are all used for hospital purposes and are all filled. The roads over which the Rebel Army have retreated present a scene such as…dead horses, cattle broken down and ammunition wagons, pieces of cannon and every[thing] that you can conceive of. The retreating army carries desolation before it. This part of Virginia is the finest part of the state…the plantations are very large and the farmer's houses are very fine and in the days of prosperity, if a people can be really prosperous with the curse of slavery upon them, must have lives at ease. We take up the march again tomorrow…we will be in Richmond as soon as I expected…in a few days…the 104th [Penn.] were not in the Williamsburg fight, are about 1 mile from here…Ira F. Gensel." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Minor toning, else VG.
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