2025-01 Raynors Historical Collectible Auctions
Absentee bidding for this session ends on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST.
The live portion of this session begins on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
A good war-date Confederate home front letter, 2pp. legal size folio, written by a certain John Brownlee, "Temple of Health, Abbeville, Dist., S. C., August 23, 1861," to his son James Brownlee, Co. A, 1st South Carolina Cavalry, Hampton's Legion, reading, in part: "- [Henry E.] Harper's company was organized yesterday with eighty men. Harper [later major] was elected captain. [?] Davis, first lieutenant. Wm. White 2nd and Wm. Robertson 3rd. John [E. Brownlee, CSA Roll of Honor, Chancellorsville, Va., Present at the surrender of Lee's army at Appomattox, April 9, 1865] has joined the company. He is too young, but he was very anxious and I thought that I would let him try it. They will go into camp in a few days near Columbia at a place called Lightwood, Knot Spring. Bill Harkness, Rip[ley] Morrow [both of Co. G, 1st South Carolina, (Orr's Rifles)] & Zekiel Norris came home last Sunday night on furlough. They have been sick with - measles - your cousin, Manda Davis - has two brothers in Virginia in Johnston's Brigade, Com. B, 10th Regt. Alabama Volunteers - my cotton crop is good and if it does not take the rust and is a favorable fall - I will make as much cotton as I ever made in one year. I have some cotton that will make me a bale to the acre, but do not know what we will do with it. If Old Abe continues his blockade we will not be able to sell it at any price. We are having to pay very high prices for everything -salt is selling at $5.50 per sack, coffee is worth 25 cents per pound - everything is high and no money in the country - we remain affectionately. Your parents, John Brownlee." James Brownlee (1839-1911) was born in Abbeville County, S. C. He attended the South Carolina Citadel and reportedly was one of the men who helped load the cannon that Edmund Ruffin fired in anger at a Union relief vessel on January 9, 1861 as it tried to relieve the suffering of the beleaguered garrison of Fort Sumter. Later he served in Hampton's Legion. Overall near fine.
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