Raynors HCA 2020-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/27/2020
Medal of Honor winner's war-date letter, 3pp. 4to., 2nd Lt. Wilmon W. Blackmar, Co. H, 1st West Virginia Cavalry, "Head Qrs. 1st Va. Vet. Cav. Loop Creek [West Va.], June 30, 1864," to his parents, in part: "…no one can know the value of Peace until he tries War. I have seen…cruelly hard service during the past month. Day and night we have been in the saddle, long marches, have worn us out…when we were almost insensible from sheer fatigue we were…refused rest, or only allowed…an hour or two…with our bridles on our arm and our jaded horses nodding over us…our Regt have been honored [by] putting us in the front when the enemy was there …of the towns we have taken our Regt. has been the first to dash into Jeffersonville, Lexington, Buchanan and Liberty…I rode except when I chose to rest my poor Kate, who has been a faithful horse, but many walked and the dust, distance, no food and bare feet were what they had to contend with…some say they tasted nothing for 36, 48 hours…many are in Heaven who would have been on Earth if they could have had a little something to eat…in ascending one mountain I have repeatedly seen…100 horses give out from sheer exhaustion…ot be abandoned and shot. Hardly a company in the Regt. has more than 10 of the horses they started with. They come back mounted on mules, captured horses or they walk back. Desolation, starvation stalk where we have been. My heart has been wrung…as I saw woman and children loosing the last morsel they had to eat. Hungry men are selfish and thousands swear they must starve because they [civilians] can not replace what our army has taken. I pity our sick, wounded and other prisoners who fell into the enemy's hands. I am sure they will be murdered…by the captors who are MAD at the desolation left in our trails. Let me illustrate how worn we were…riding along taking a cat nap on my horse and suffering from the…desire to sleep. 'Halt', 'Dismount' would sound along the column. A tree had been cut across the road, a small bridge burnt or something to cause five, ten, fifteen minutes delay. Down we would drop, right on the road at our horses feet and sleep until the men in front began to move. Sometimes we would not wake for sometime…one less dead…would have to use kicks & cuffs to rouse his comrade. Once near daylight our brigade halted…the front part moved on and left us…fast asleep two miles behind. Every fence corner would have one or two men asleep in it and the rear guard would have to rouse them…with the point of the saber. I know the pursuing enemy have picked up hundreds of our men fast asleep in the road who the rear guard…either overlooked or found it impossible to rouse…I should like…the tailor…make me an officer's Blouse [in] flannel…we start tomorrow for Charleston, thence overland to Parkersburg…we shall car there and go by rail to Clarksburg or Martinsburg…Wilmon, 1st Va. Vet. Cav." Light soiling, else VG.
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