Raynors HCA 2019-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/21/2019
War-date Union soldier Autograph Letter Signed “Foster” 4pp. quarto, City Hall, Atlanta, Georgia, September 13, 1864, and reads in part: “...Our Corps fell back to the river while Sherman with the rest of the Army left their works, the Johnnies and the walled city of Atlanta in peace and quietness and departed...While we made recognizance every day for a week when Hood waked one fine morning and found that Sherman had again struck him ‘end’ ways, and up and after them was the order of the day, leaving only a small force in the doomed city to protect its inhabitants from the ‘Yankee Vandals.’ Hood met Sherman 25 miles from this place on the Macon road and pitched in charging our lines with his accoustomed vigor and boldness, three times in succession and repulsed each time, when the 14th Corps concluded they would try their hand at the game and went it with a yell, overturning everything in their front splitting Hood’s Army into two parts, capturing 19 pieces of artillery and over 2,000 prisoners, completely routing the Johnnies and scattering them in every hand, and our boys are picking them up every day while large numbers are coming in on their own accord and delivering themselves up as prisoners of war...Friday Sept. the 2nd...at 2pm the City surrendered to the 3rd Division which got out 2 hours ahead of ours. About the same time our Brigade or 3 regiments left the river and after a 4 mile march passed over our old Breastowrks and the knoll we wrestled from the Johnnies when Goodwin [Horatio Goodwin KIA 7/30/1864] was killed, and soon entered the city, the Band playing the boys singing and the inhabitants keeping extremely quiet, expecting the Yanks would commence our work, rape, murder, arson, robbery...they soon found their mistake and in most cases are very amicable and social and somewaht astonished that we behave better, look neater, and mind our own business better than the Johnnies and ‘ain’t got horns.”...the object of the Campaign having been accomplished, most gloriously with but small loss on our side and the keen annihilation of the Rebel Army and the famed Georgia Militia which is completely played out. So much for us. Now and before Sping we’ll have Savannah, Charleston, and in fact, the whole damned Confederacy gobbled up...I will send you a piece of the Rebel Flag which floated from the cupola of the City Hall when we entered Atlanta. It had thirteen stars and red and white bars...” 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).
Click above for larger image.