“We had a very hot time of it at Bristoe Station”

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017

War-date Union soldier’s Autograph Letter Signed by William A. Smith, Co. D, 116th Pennsylvania Infantry, 3pp. quarto, Head Quarters Bull Run, October 18, 1863, with cover , it reads in part: “... We are laying here under orders with the horses saddle ready to go in a moment’s notice. We had a very hot time of it at Bristoe Station. They were on both sides of us. There they attacked us on a flank movement. They open fired on us at day light and threw shell right in where we had head quarters. We were all off of our horses when the shell commence coming there. There was a detachment with us. Then I had to horse. There was some awful jumping done then but when we come up to Brook’s Run there we had a big fight and there the Rebs like to get me...I was coming back to the Division again and I was coming along and looked over the field and seen the Johnnies coming right in our rear and I stopped then a locked and turned by horse around. They fired at me then and I put the spurs to the horse then and got off. They shot at me 3 times. That is the first time I had the Rebs tell me to halt, but I did not half for them and went back to the hospital and told the cavalry of it and they made a charge on them and took a lot of them prisoners...the 2nd Corps taken 6 pieces of artillery and two standings of colors and 600 prisoners. We had to fight two battles that day and General Meade gie us a great blow in the papers about it...” Fine condition.

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).