Raynors HCA 2020-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2020
A great war-date Union officer's letter, 3 1/2pp. 4to., by Adjutant John E. Thompson, 20th Illinois Vols. [KIA Shiloh, TN., April 6, 1862, buried Shiloh National Military Park, grave No. 1773], "Head Quarters, 20th Regt. Ill. Infantry, Bird's Point, Mo., Jan. 7, 1862", reading, in part: "…a boy comes along in the morning and says, "Morning Papers" and I buy a Tribune and look over the heading of some camp letters…then throw it away and go about my morning reports…half tempted to believe that the country is going to the devil…as fact as the army contractors and a few brigadiers can send it. But…the Brigadiers…have done well by me and I will stand up for them. I have much faith in the…'Brig. Genl. E. A. Paine comdg."…five companies of the 20th are going out with some other troops to take Charleston again…I have been out five or six times to take Charleston…it has been surrounded and taken a great many times…there is a chance to bag quite a nest of Jeff Thompson's chickens this time if they can only manage to approach the nest without alarming the old one-there's the difficult, the old one is a wily bird. Jeff's force is now reduced to about four or five hundred crafty, wily, shrew, desperate men, but we get some of them almost every day. We have…over twenty in the guard house now who own up to having been at the Fredericktown races. [9 o'clock a. m., Jan. 8, 1862.] The expedition has just started-1500 strong…there is no chance for an adjutant to get out of camp…Col. Peregell, 10th Iowa, is in command…Capt. Bartleson [WIA Shiloh, amputation of arm, POW Chickamauga; KIA Kennesaw Mountain, Ga., June 23, 1864] is in command of our five companies. Col. [Charles C.] Marsh is at Paducah, Major [Evan] Richards [KIA Raymond, Miss., 5/12/863] has gone to Springfield, Lt. Col. [William] Erwin [KIA Fort Donelson, TN., 2/15/62] is on detached service and our battalion had to go in command of the senior captain…9 o'clock p. m. Jan 8th 1862. The expedition to Charleston…fell into an ambuscade…five men of the 10th Iowa Rgt. were killed and some 15 wounded. The night was dark as pitch and the rebels retreated after firing one volley and escaped in the darkness. One rebel was killed and two more badly wounded, rather a bad affair. The 20th, 11th, 22d and 8th Regiments have orders to move at ten o'clock tomorrow…[at] Fredericktown…we had a fight…'Tis time we were fighting'…wouldn't it be a fine joke if someone should rob Robert of his Mary? "Horses without owners!" I have often seen such-if I find any on this march I intend to mount them. I have helped bring about a hundred into camp…speaking of commissions…I am a 1st Lieutenant, never the less, and what is better, I am adjutant…John E. Thompson, Adjt., 20th Regt. Ills. Infantry." Overall VG
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