Raynors HCA 2020-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2020
A great Union soldier's war-date battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. William N. Cluxton, Co. E, 112th New York Vols., "Camp Suffolk, Virginia", Dec. 26, 1862, to his wife Julia Cluxton concerning the battle of Joyner's Ferry on the Blackwater, Va., in small part: "…you must keep up good courage and hope for the bees…it will come out for the best. It is hard for me to be down in old Virginia and you in old Ripley…we started from Suffolk at 2 o'clock and…marched…all night…got to Blackwater and then the fight soon commenced. The rebs had ditches dug and they run into them and then they would stick their guns out and fire at our men. When we went to cross the river the rebs killed some of our men before they could get across…none out of our regiment [plus] several horses and cavalry men and wounded a number. They shot one lieutenant through the heart and one man through the neck…the worst that I see was a man that a cannon ball struck his legs and shattered them all to pieces. That was as much of war as I want to see. Then the rebs throde their shells at us and they come as near as I wanted them to. Their was a piece of shell that struck in about three or four feet of me…we dug it out of the ground when the rebs stopped firing. It was about four or five inches long…our men took about 30 prisoners. I don't know how man…we did kill…we started to come back and marched until that night and then we stopped and stayed all night. It was very cold to sleep on the frozen ground…your true and affectionate and true soldier, William N. Cluxton." Also included is the original stamped "112th New York Regiment" regimental patriotic cover. Both overall VG.
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