Raynors HCA 2018-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/21/2018
“Camp near Leesburg, Virginia, November 1st, 1862” is the heading on this very interesting EIGHT PAGE letter written by Hannibal Augustus Johnson, Company B of the 3rd Maine Infantry. Not only is this an interesting letter, but Hannibal Johnson has quite an amazing story connected with his name. Quoting from the Civil War Database: “According to Johnson’s book, ‘The Sword of Honor’ (an interesting read, by the way) he was captured both at Gettysburg on July 2, 1863, exchanged, and captured a second time during the Battle of the Wilderness on May 5, 1864. Johnson’s second capture was by men of the 12th South Carolina, and Captain J. C. B. Smith. His pistol and a presentation sword were taken from him by Smith. Johnson and others escaped captivity in November 1864 and made their way through the mountains of S.C., N.C. and TN. to their own lines at Knoxville. The escape took seven weeks. In 1875 Captain Smith located Johnson through acquaintances and returned the sword to him. They remained friends until Smith died in 1898.” In part, ““There has been heavy cannonading all the afternoon in the direction of Watertown and if it continues much longer our division may be called for it but no one cares for the fighting part of it but we do detest marching for our marches generally on such occasions are very rapid.”... “We are encamped on the ground that four (4) rebel Regts. occupied last winter but none the worse after that. We had a rebel Major along with us yesterday for our pickets took him the night before… He obtained a short furlough to go home and see his family not knowing our people were on this side of the river and as he was calmly sleeping in his own house in bed our picket went into the house and in his bedroom ... “I tell you things have to suffer now we are again in Virginia for while in Maryland we did not take many liberties with the Farmers property, but how different are things now for our boys had no sooner crossed the river then they were at once a foraging as we call it and before night I could say upon honor that there was as many as 100 hogs as many turkeys and chickens in camp all dead, dead, dead for we all remembered the raid of Stuarts Cavalry a few weeks ago and we follow his worthy example to a less limited extent." ...“When it came night in Maryland we cut down trees to keep us warm through the night but in Virginia down comes the Virginia fence no matter how good it is the better the fence the better the fire it makes and in fact anything we see that we want we take it and we are living like fighting cocks and will as long as the farmers leave things around loose but I think we deserve these things as well as our Rebs farmers so we act accordingly.”...“I was surprised to hear that they were obliged to resort to a draft in Mass. for I thought that there was patriotism enough in the state to furnish their quota by voluntary enlistment the same as my native state. Often I think she has done nobly for she has now 29 Regts of Infantry six (6) batteries of Artillery and one Regt of Cavalry besides about 10,000 seamen for the navy. The 39th Mass Vols. are in our Brigade, Stoneman’s Division this reg’t. making troops from four (4) different states in the Brigade Mass, N. York, Penn. & Maine.”
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