Raynors HCA 2017-12
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by 2nd Lt. Henry H. Goodell, Co. F, 25th Connecticut Vols., "Bayou Boeuf, 7 miles from Brashear City," [La.], April 3, 1863, in small part: "…we have had some terribly hot & fatiguing marches & the boys are…so footsore & blistered I doubt whether they could march much farther. I have held out wonderfully. Have not so much as raised a sign of a blister though carrying a rubber blanket & my thick overcoat in a sling on my shoulder, my canteen full of water, a haversack with 2 days provisions…my sword & revolver…March 30th I crossed over the Bayou La Fourche to the main part of the town & spent a couple of hours in exploring it. It must have been an extremely beautiful place, though now, many of the houses are lying in ruins from the bombardment lats summer. There is an exceedingly pretty cemetery embowered in red & white roses which hang in clusters over the monuments. I noticed on many of the tombs fresh wreaths of roses…& before many there were pictures hung representing the survivor weeping beneath a willow. Blue pinks seemed to be a very favorite flower & were planted around almost every monument. March 31st we were packed up & on the move at 8 1/2 A. M. Our road…lay along the Bayou La Fouche, avery deep & cold stream along which our river steamers were passing bringing the sick & baggage…the inhabitants were all on the piazzas & watching us & that appeared to be their principle occupation everywhere. Such a slovenly, indolent set you never saw. The women especially with frizzled hair, unhooked dresses & slipshod shoes. They were evidently poor white trash…after marching 12 miles we encamped at Cottonville pretty well fagged out…the last vision I had as I closed my eyes was that of a porker squealing at the top of its lungs & charging blindly among the camp fires…pursued by a rabble of shouting youths discharging sticks, bayonets & other deadly missiles…April 1…passed some beautiful plantations. One of them…was perfectly embowed in trees, had a smooth cut lawn on which were a coulee of deer feeding. There was…swans swimming in a pond before the house. On the verandah a couple of ladies were working & some pretty little children were playing…it was the prettiest sight I have seen in La. It fairly stilled the clamor of the men seeing those little children & I heard more than one tough old soldier ejaculate "God bless them." At another little white cottage…a lady whose husband had fallen in the Union ranks sent her slaves down to the road with pails of cool water…we could not help bless her for it…oh the heat & the dust! It was stifling…encamped in a sugar plantation…April 2. Our brigade being the advance we were off at 5 1/2 o'clock…reached Thilodeaux at noon…it was hardest days match of all. The men staggered & reeled bout the road from fatigue & blistered feet. We all took hold & helped carry guns & knapsacks…at 6 P. M. came the order to fall in & we marched back to the RR station & took the cars to Brashear City. It was very cold & we were perched on tops of the cars while the 13th rode inside. Such a forsaken piece of country as we passed throe'…was detailed to unload the cars & worked till 2 in the morning…the whole of Grover's Div. is here…direct to H. H. G., 25th [Conn. Vols.], Grover's Div. 3rd Brigade…with love, Hnery…". VG
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