Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
A great war-date Union surgeon's operating letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Asst. Surgeon William C. Towle 12th Maine Vols., Cedar Creek, [Va.], Oct. 11, 1864, to his wife, in part: "…the 7th &b 8th we made heavy marches and the weather was extremely cold…it was evident that the Rebs were following us and the impression seemed to be that we were trying to get out of their way. On the afternoon of the 8th…Gen. Sheridan having coaxed them down…where he wanted them made a grand flank movement capturing nine pieces of artillery, between 40 & 50 wagons and 300 prisoners. The rest escaping to the mountains. The 'Johneys' have been out guerrillaed in the Valley…Gen. Sheridan is an active live man as the battle of Winchester. During the engagement he rode up and down the entire line of battle directing the movements in person. This is the kind of a man to be in command of an army…we are now twelve miles from Winchester and are occupying a splendid position…the campaign is about over here. The Rebs will not…risk another engagement…while we were at Harrisonburg our cavalry went to Staunton, 25 miles, and destroyed a large amount of Rebel stores, also burnt all of the wheat on the way. There is nothing left now for an army to subsist upon. Many citizens with their families are going north…Dr. [Eldridge A.] Thompson has been very attentive to business of late. There has been nothing down with his case yet. He has been making strenuous efforts to have it passed over in silence. If it is…I shall begin to think that an officer can be guilty of most any offense and…go unpunished…Amos Harriman…was in the 14th N. H. I saw him in [the] hospital at Winchester with a bad wound in the thigh from which he died. I should have operated upon him but mortification had extended to his body before I saw him. I operated upon another from the same Regt. He was from Sandwich and was wounded in the same place. He was doing well when I left. The 14th N. H. buried 37 in one grave. They suffered severely. Our loss was 14 killed and 84 wounded & about a dozen prisoners…it is a hard case for the drafted…if I was one of them I should go before paying a thousand dollars. The Rebs all pay a high compliment to the 19th A. C. They say they could have easily whipped their old friends of the 6th and 8th. The 19th never were whipped…Wm. C. Towle." The original transmittal cover is included. Minor toning, else VG.
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