Raynors HCA 2019-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/26/2019
War-date Confederate cavalry officer's letter, 2pp. large folio, 2pp. oblong 8vo (on American Telegraph Company receipt), written by Capt. Alfred B. Mulligan, [WIA Burgess' Mill, Va., Oct. 27, 64], Co. B, 5th South Carolina Cavalry, "In Camp", Sept. 18, 1864, to his mother & sisters, in part: "…military matters in Va. appear to be at a stand still…Genl. Hampton took some of our boys on last Wednesday & went down in the rear of the Yankee army within about eight miles of City Point & surprised a camp of Yankees who were there guarding about three thousand fine beef cattle whipped them out & captured about three hundred prisoners & brought off twenty four hundred & thirty five (2435) large fine fat northwestern steers…with as much plunder of every description as they could bring away. The[y] had a pretty hard fight before they got off however the Yankees having gotten wind of the affair…gathered a large force of infantry, cavalry & artillery & pursued them but our boys were too smart & too brave for them…They made a night march and attacked the camp just at dawn…& found the Yankees all in their night cloths excepting a small guard. They (the Yankees) all were armed with carbines which shoot sixteen (16) times without reloading…which they popped away at our boys with unusual rapidity but we went to get the beeves and our boys "pitched into them". By sunrise they had the immense drove of cattle all on the road for our lines when the Yankees gathered their large force & attacked us. They all passed our camp today & I never seen such a sight, the largest & the finest beeves i have ever seen. Genl. Rosser lost a few men killed & wounded but our brig. did not loss a man. Such expeditions as that are equal to a victory. The Yanks say that they cant get any more such beeves. The Yanks captured were all put to driving the cattle which they did in a hurry. One Irishman captured said, "gist yesterday, he was driving the bates for Uncle Sam & today he was driving them for Jeff Davis". He consoled himself by saying that as he was captured he was devilish glad that the beeves came along with him. [continued on American Telegraph Company receipt]…I did not think I would write so much when I began but I have written up all the paper…& will try this old black Express Recpt…I can tell you another practical joak [played] on one of the prisoners recently captured. He is a saddler by trade and a German. When our General questioned him as to his calling he said he made saddles upon which the Genl. asked him if he would make saddle for us. He replied that [he] had been making saddles for us ever since the war began. To appreciate this you must know…that many mounted soldiers in the Army of Northern Va who has been for any length of time rides on a Yankee saddle & this is fact as most of us ride on Yankee horses, all captured from them in battle. Besides this every farmer with reach of the scene of battle are supplied with Yankee horses. My Yankee horse is doing first rate. I wish I had him at home...A. B. Mulligan." Light soiling, else VG.
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