Raynors HCA 2019-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/30/2019
War-date Union soldier's opening of the Chickamauga Campaign letter, 4pp. 4to. & 2 oblong 8vo., written by Pvt. Harrison Gibble (Gipple in the CW database), Co. A, 79th Penn. Vols., Stevenson, Ala., Sept. 9, 1863, to his friend, Henry C. Gringrich, in part: "…I am still among the living and nearly roasted up by the sun…give you a short history of our campaign…we left Murfreesboro about two months ago…we had 14 day's rain…when we started, but we worked through the mud…and drove the rebels out of Tennessee…to Chattanooga. We laid several weeks at Cowan Station till the railroad was in repair and sufficient provisions forwarded…then left to follow the reb's in earnest. We crossed the Cumberland mountain and went 6 miles below Anderson station, Ala…the whole army was in advance…we had to leave our Siply [Sibly] tents and so I was detailed to guard it…are now with the army and are marching towards Chattanooga and skirmishes all [through] the mountains…skirmishing on mountains is hard work…had several small fights and rove the rebs back and captured a large number of them…Stevenson…was Genl. Rosecrans head quarters for a short time, but left…and went into the front. He is now at Canton, Georgia…here the cars [are] unloaded and…taken away by wagons. All the regiments teams are thrown into supply teams…they have now commenced to build the 5th house or Shet for provisions…there is about 2 to 3000 negroes at work. The air is stinking from the negroes and dirty deserters that comes into our lines daily…sometimes 100 in a squad and contrabands are coming by swarms. They have nearly regiment full from Ala. since last week. The cars takes number of provisions …to Nashville and the military prison is always full. Families are coming as far as 20 miles on foot for flour and bacon, slat etc. It is shocking to look at some women, good many barefooted and have one to six children with them ragged and all dirty…as well as the women…some women comes on horse back, one child on the lap and two behind…one woman came in…for salt. She asked when she could buy salt. I send her to Maj. Mellinger. He keeps a sutler store close…she went to him and asked him for salt…he told her he did not deal in salt…she got cross and said, 'the best the Yankees can do is to cheat the people with their greenbacks.' Mr. Mellinger then asked her whether she got cheated. She said, 'she had to take ten dollars in greenbacks of the Yankee's and she would like to buy salt…to get rid of them. Mr. Mellinger offered her Ten dollars Confederate money for theirs…exchanged…[she] afterwards commenced to buy different articles…such as tobacco & etc and handed a Confederate script to pay which he refused to take and took his things back…that ended the trade. The woman left much confused…if we get possession of Chattanooga I will write again…[Sept. 10, 1863]…Chattanooga is in our possession and the rebels are falling on…Rome. Our force (the right wing) is…moving towards Rome and will occupy the place before the rebs can reach it. All the railroad is cut off…some of our men had to do some hard fighting …Gen. Negley and Gen. wood was in the hottest contest. They were on the Lookout Mountain which was well defended by the rebs to protect Chattanooga. Our men ha the place nearly surrounded. We overpowered them. This will make the finishing stroke in this department…they are deserting now as fast as they can…a rebel deserter…said that it was a general agreement with the men that they would try once more to hold Chattanooga and if they fail to do so they would all desert…in a few days…they [will] fight among themselves and fight it out and let us rest…there was over 20,000 troops passing through here yesterday…there is no end to our troops…H. Gibble. Union for ever." VG
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