Raynors HCA 2018-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/21/2018
A rare Medal of Honor winner's war-date letter, 5 1/2pp. folio., 1st Sgt. Wilmon W. Blackmar, Co. K, 15th Penn. (Anderson Troop) Cavalry, "Head Qrs, Gen. Thomas," Chattanooga, Tenn., Nov. 3, 1863, to his father, in part: "…Gen. R. being removed have hesitated to write that I should not get my letters. I am still at Hd. Qrs…any letter directed …with Thomas instead of Rosy's Hd. Qrs. will reach me…I suppose you often wonder just how things are in Chatt. and vicinity…stand with me on a high bluff at the right of town, as we face the river…I will point out from it some objects of interest. The bluff rises about 150 ft. perpendicularly on the river side and t its base runs the now high & rapid river. A few feet from the water…is an opening to a cave in which women & children cognate during the "shelling." I have often seen several women with their littleness around them, cooking, eating or sleeping while the guard with fixed bayonets paced his beat in front protect the women from any trouble the soldiers might offer when the come for water…a little to the right is an island of a few acres. Here we used to ford the river, but it is too high now. on its point stay a guard…to watch for, catch & tow in any rafts etc. which the enemy may see fit to float down upon us with intent to destroy our pontoons. They stop some rafts…but notwithstanding their carefulness you can see…that the bridge is broken in two places…the flat boats are struggling across heavily loaded with men and horses…you can see by glancing along the opposite shore hundreds of wagons loaded with rations of all kinds…only a few of each Regt. get across…but the pontoons are heard at work and if Hooker can only hold his gained ground we can easily haul provisions from Kelly's Landing …the river runs past Chatt. to the foot of Lookout Mt. where it turns and makes an abrupt bend…we come to another pontoon across the river below Lookout…3 m[iles] from here is Hooker's Hd. Qrs, but return to the bluff…at the river edge begins our lines of entrenchments…the line of red earth can be easily traced forming a bended bow with the other end resting near the base of Lookout, behind this line are numerous camps…Chatt. is all hills and every hill is crowned with…a fort. One the top of one…to our left is a flag, bobbing and cutting all sorts of antics, all nonsense to us, but full of meaning to some signal officer…we can see Chatt. houses have been leveled if in the way and everything been done to make the place hard to take…let us go up onto the high hill where the signal station is…and see what we can…of Secesh …the Reb tents and…fires…awey up top on Lookout, where we used to have a signal station is a point of rocks is a battery. They can command the river in front Hooker…throwing shell less than 3 m. in the air to either place…all along the front…to our left flank…starts the Reb lines including Missionary Ridge…they have been busy fortifying. Our pickets and vedettes can be seen beyond the line of fortifications watching for demonstration from the Grey Backs. Every few moments a loud report rings through the air as the Lookout Rebs open on either Hooker's side or ours. Lately they have…paying Hooker all attention…yesterday they did better than ever before…one of their shells burst away up in town…we can frequently hear them whistle through the air…last night…we expected an assault…today they have been unusually quiet…Rosy flanked them to clear the Mt. and I cant see how Hooker can clear it…I can not get across the river to assist [Col.] Adin Underwood [33rd Mass. WIA Wauhatchie]…Bang! as I write-a shell has burst right in sight and the ring of white smoke hangs over the town…the rascals have good range and heavy guns…there is such a thing as getting used to seeing shell burst. The telegraph wire, which was dependent on the pontoon to cross the river was thrown across at the island and now runs independent…it is a long stretch for the wire…do not worry for me…if the Rebs can take us & the town let them do so, they must work for it. At any rate let us wait…at present…there is a whole army fighting for the privilege of bringing me food…Wilmon." Minor spotting, else VG
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).
Click above for larger image.