2025-01 Raynors Historical Collectible Auctions
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Union soldier’s Group of Thirteen War Dated Letters written by John W. Lund who enlisted on September 18 1861 at Sodus, Wayne county, New York to serve in Co. C, 8th New York Cavalry. He was killed on 9 June 1863 in the fighting at Beverly Ford, Virginia. Datelined:Washington, December 16, 1861, in part “I now take my pen in hand to write a few lines to you that I ought to have done before but have not been able for I have been in the hospital most of the time that we have been here. ... When we arrived here, we was taken to a large house what they called the soldier home and gave us some dry bread and coffee and our bed was the soft side of the floor ... The next day I broke out with the measles and had to go to the hospital. wo more came with the same complaint. One of them was from Marion and the other from Williamson. It was rather a hard place for there was no one there that cared whether we lived or died but two of us got out alive. But the one from Williamson was brought out a corpse. ...” Datelined: Camp Selden, January 5, 1862, in part “e live in canvas tents. They are round with a center pole in the middle. They are about sixteen feet in diameter without any floor except the ground. We have a small stove in the center and our beds around hte outside which is the extent of our furniture. But we have got a floor in our tent. ... There is fifteen of us in a tent so you can judge we are pretty thick. We have to take turns in doing our cooking. ...” Datelined: Camp Selden, Washington D. C., February 17th, 1862, on impressive patriotic, in part “We are on Camp Selden yet and I think we shall stay here until we get our discharge. ... The physician that we have had did not know anything about his business. He got his discharge last week and left. The Colonel has resigned. ... his commission. He resigned to save his being throwed out. He found out that he would not bear inspection. He would go down town and get so drunk that he would have to be helped off his horse when he came in camp. I think we shall not want any other colonel for we are having so many union victories that they will whip the Sout out before we get ready to fight. There has been seven regiments ordered over the river. They have been waiting for the mud to dry up. One regiment that was encamped close by us has gone over today. ...” Datelined: Edwards Ferry, March 13th 1862 on McClellan patriotic, in part “We received orders last Saturday about noon that we was to move that night for Poolesville, Maryland. ... hen we got aboard of the canal boats and went up the river to Edward’s Ferry about thirty miles from Washington. Poolesville is five miles back from the river but we did not go there. We stopped at Edward’s Ferry and pitched our tents. ... Edward’s Ferry is about three miles from Ball’s Bluff. You will remember the battle that was fought there where there was so many of the northern men killed. ...” Datelined: Stevenson’s Depot, Charlestown, Virginia, April 23, 1862, on Patriotic Constitution letterhead, (unsigned), in part “hey keep us guarding canals and railroads for their large pay. ... We are now guarding the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Charlestown to Winchester, Virginia. We left the canal about three weeks ago and went to Harper’s Ferry. ... We are in a secesh country but they are all in the army except old men, women, boys and negroes, and the negroes are running away very fast. ... Most of General Jackson’s army was raised around here. ... They took sixty-one of his cavalry prisoners a few days ago and sent them to Washington. ...” Datelined: Harper’s Ferry, Virginia, May 27, 1863, on patriotic letterhead, in part “Last Saturday our regiment was ordered to Winchester to reinforce General Banks who was retreating from Strasburg, that the enemy was after him on double quick. ... We made a stand on the outside of the town and kept them out until about eight o’clock when we found they were too strong for us. They were about 30,000 strong and we had but about ten. We had to retreat on double quick, every man for himself. The bullets flew around our heads like swarms of bees. I saw out our captain fall with a great many others. ... We met about six thousand coming to reinforce us five miles out of town but it was too late. They had to retreat. ...” Datelined: Relay House, Maryland, July 17th 1862, in part “We have given up all hopes of coming home now until the close of the war as they have made a call for so many more men and many of us may never get home alive. Our quartermaster was sent home a week ago in a coffin. He appeared to be as tough as any of us but he was taken with the brain fever and died in less than a week. ...” Datelined: Hagerstown, Maryland, September 27th 1862, in part “We left some thirteen of our boys and Lieutenant John [W.] Brown in the hospital who are prisoners. ... Our captain supposed that he was exchanged when he came to us but he was only paroled and cannot be with us until he is exchanged. ... He said that as soon as Brown was paroled, ge got up and took his valice on his back and started for Frederick on foot, some 18 miles. He got over his sickness pretty quick. He also brought the news that Eli Allen was dead and buried. He died very sudden. ...” Datelined: Belle Plains, Va., December 11th 1862, in part “ It is about 5 miles from Fredericksburg. We are now doing picket duty on the Rappahannock below Fredericksburg. We have not had any fighting since we left Warrenton but we are expecting a large battle in a few days ... But hard fare will not kill what is left of us or we should have been dead long ago. ... If John Brown is at home, he had better stay there damned coward will get booted out of the company if he comes back. ...” Datelined: Belle Planes, Va., January 4, 1863, in part “We have been here since the Battle of Fredericksburg with the exception of one week we left here last Sunday night on a cavalry raid with Gen. Averell’s Brigade and returned last night. Our first trip was to Warrenton about 45 miles from here. We made a charge into the town the night before New Years. We found a small force of the reb’s cavalry in town but they left as soon as they found we were coming. ...” Datelined:Camp near Stafford Court House, March 2, 1863, in part “We have had another raid after the reb General [J. E. B.] Stuart but as usual, he has got through safe and sound. ... But at daylight we arrived at Gen. Averell’s Headquarters where we joined his brigade with the rest of Pleasanton’s and twelve pieces of light artillery. We then started up the Rappahannock to cut off the rebs retreat.... Mr. Stuart was too smart for us. He had captured one squadron of the 11th Pennsylvania Cavalry who was on picket and got out of our reach with the exception of a few of his rear guard who were captured.... ” Datelined: Camp near Stafford Court House, March 28th, 1863, in part “I would like you to find out whether there is a young man around there by the name of William Shavor who belonged to this company. He was taken prisoner at Harper’s Ferry. I have understood that he was discharged. If you find him, ask him if he remembers of my lending him five dollars at that Relay House...” Datelined: Potomac Station, Va. May 16, 1863, in part “I suppose that you have read of the great battle that Old Joe [Hooker] has been having but probably it has not all been true. I suppose that he is claiming a victory but I cannot see it. He made a good beginning by crossing the river and drawing the rebs out of their breastworks but there he stopped. Their reinforcements came on and Old Joe made tracks back across the river. We can now see long trains of ambulances carrying the wounded from the rebel army. That does not look much like a victory on our side. I have given up all hopes of ever whipping the South back into the Union for I cannot see but they can stand the war as well as the North. ... We had about ninety in our company when we left Rochester but we now report about thirty and half of them are new recruits. ...” There are also 5 partial, unsigned, war-date letters by Lund.
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