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. 4to., written by Private Henry G. Mervine, 17th N. Y. Battery, "Head Quarters 24th A. C., Office Chief of Arty.", [Va.], Jan. 7, 1865, in small part: "…I feel less & less pugnaciously inclined and would very willingly yield to others the galorious privilege of going into the front ranks as a target for Reb bullets…I do not feel very happy today. My sensibilities have been considerably excited by the execution of two poor fellows (one a mere boy) near these Hd. Qrs. for the crime of desertion. I could not avoid hearing the fatal volley which terminated their existence…desertions have come so frequent of late that I suppose it is necessary to resort to extreme measures to check the evil, but it does seem hard & scarcely justifiable to go quite so far. There have been fourteen executed within the last fortnight in this Department alone. Any soldier who causes the arrest of a deserter gets $30 and a twenty day furlough…the donation from Orleans & Niagara counties of New Years dinner for our battery has not yet all come to hand-part of it came yesterday…the roads are nearly impassable…military operations are at a standstill in this department…Henry." The original transmittal cover is included. VG
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