Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
War-date Union soldier's Grant Overland Campaign letter, 8pp. 4to., and 2pp. 12mo., written by Pvt. George S. Youngs, [POW Harper's Ferry, Va., 9/15/62], Co. G, 126th New York Vols., "2nd Corps Headquarters, Near Hanover Junction, Va., May 25, 1864", in small part: "…we are fully two miles from that place and in another County (Carolina). Our Corps and one division of the Ninth crossed the river here last eve…still in line of battle on the other side skirmishing. Both with artillery and musketry have been kept up all day. We have lain here all day and when stragglers have been brought in…details have been made…to take them to their division headquarters…[we] had nearly a hundred stragglers tied by the elbows back to back for half an hour. They were then released and taken to the division to which they belonged. Went up to an old fashioned house belonging to Thomas Chandler who seems to have been a very influential and well educated man. He was postmaster, magistrate and a manager of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac Railroad. His brother, Rufus K. Chandler was a graduate of Yale College…the place had been well ransacked…the furniture was broken and scattered around the rooms. He had a library which had been well stocked with…Greek, Latin and English dictionaries and works of a similar nature…there was any quantity of letters heaped up o the floors…I picked up a number…and brought them over to my tent to read…some of them I found very interesting…there was young lady in the family named Bettie …she must have been amiable…the owner of the place left for Richmond on the advance of our army. He left some Nigs behind with instructions to go to Hanover, but they failed to profit by his kind advise and stayed. It seems hard to see such a place as his destroyed, but they have chosen their course and must abide by consequences…[Headquarters, 2nd Corps, near Hanover Junction, Va, May 26, 1864]…still lay on the north side of the river…skirmishing [is] kept up all day…we had…considerable cannonading from four o'clock till dark. Had twenty men bucked and gaged for two or three hours…after dark two men were detailed to whip them. One turned them over and the other gave them twenty lashes each…some of them took it without a word, but the majority of them cried like school boys. Generals Meade and Burnside were visiting Gen. Hancock while I was on post. The troops are all being withdrawn to this side of the river…for the purpose of making another flank movement…[May 27th, 1864]…fell in and stacked arms…marched back to where we lay Monday night. The troops are all in line of battle on this side of the river. The skirmishers fell back to this side of the river…and burned the bridge. A feat the Rebels attempted when we drove them to the other side…our forces have torn up and destroyed the railroad…it was twelve…before the rear of the Corps got fairly in…then they dragged along slowly till two…[May 28th]…moved on a agin and reached headquarters at daybreak…moved out to the road and lay two hours…witting for the rear of the corps to come up…we came on the cause of all the slow motion. It was a very bad place in the road and two poor bridges…crossed the Pamunkey river…we reached Corps Headquarters very much fatigued…we picked up a couple of men this morning with a pretty good sized lamb which they had killed. Major Bull compelled one of them to carry both of their guns and the others to carry the lamb…they didn't think they should want any more mutton this summer. [Twelve miles from Richmond near the Chickahominy Swamp, May 30th, 1864]…skirmishing is going on out in front and a great battle is expected today…G. S. Youngs." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. A bit light, else VG
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