Raynors HCA 2020-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2020
War-date Confederate non-commissioned officer's letter, 6pp. 8vo., written by Sergeant Major Mann Page [WIA Cedar Mountain, Va., Aug. 9, 62], 21st Virginia Infantry, "Camp near Romney", [Western Virginia], Jan. 18, 1862, to his uncle, David Copeland Randolph, reading, in part: "Cousin Archy [2nd Lt. Archer Page] arrived yesterday just as we got to this place…our camp is about 3 or 4 miles from Romney. Copeland is stationed in Romney…we have had a very hard tramp of it ever since we left Winchester and have traveled about ninety miles through deep snow, sleeping out night without our wagons containing our tents, blankets & provisions, but have succeeded in driving the Yankeys out of this part of Virginia…in there great haste to leave they have left a great quantity of their baggage which are now in our possession…we hear that they have about 300 wagons about seventeen miles from Romney that they cannot get across the Potomac River. Genl. [Stonewall] Jackson has sent some of our forces to attack them. What will be the next move we make nobody but Genl. Jackson knows for he keeps his own council and I think he does right, but such has been the suffering of our army during this campaign that some of the Regts that left Winchester with from 7 or 8 hundred men have now not more than one to two hundred…our Regt. left Winchester with six hundred and have only three hundred & sixteen…Dick Cunningham is in command of the Regt. Col. [William] Gilham & Maj. [Scott] Shipp have gone back to the V. M. Institute & Lt. Col. John M. Patton has gone home…I did not think that it was possible for any body to stand what we have…we march until late in the night & then sleep in the snow. The surgeons have all protested against this campaign but Old Jackson is a go ahead fellow and I mean to follow him as long as I can drag one leg after the other for I don't believe that the Government appreciates what we have suffered and never will until we have drawn the Yankeys out of western Virginia…if we should go in winter quarters at Winchester I will try a[nd] get a furlow…but I think the chances very uncertain…for if the health of the army will permit it I think Genl. Jackson intends to push on to the Rail Road and after destroying that to go in to Grafton and then drive the Yankeys out of Virginia. I will go in to town tomorrow to see Copeland…his company is Jackson's body guard…they found five hundred tents in Romney that the enemy left. They were so frightened when they heard that Jackson was getting in their rear that they cut their horses loose and left a good many wagons along the road…Mann Page.…". Minor soiling, else VG
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