Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
Union soldier’s letter written by “Frank(lin L. Allen)” who enlisted 11/30/1863 into C Co. OH 34th Infantry. The four page letter has the original cover and is datelined Camp Toland, W. Va., July 8th, ’64. In small part, “On the afternoon of the 17th of July (He meant June) we commenced the fight and it continued until the evening of the 18th Saturday when our brigade was guarding the wagon train on the retreat. ... We traveled that night until about 11 o’clock when we laid down to take a nap and about 1 o’clock in the night we again started on the retreat arriving at Liberty about an hour before daylight and there we again laid down and slept until morning and then we moved through Liberty and encamped there until the whole army past us and by the time it had past it was very ...our division was drawn up in line ready for the attack and as was expected the enemy advanced and our boys poured the bullets into them thick and fast which sent them back as fast as they had advanced. By this time it was dark and we again began the retreat traveling most of the night and the next day and for a change we again traveled all night arriving at a place called Salem where we had a right sharp fight and at this place we halted until noon and got something to eat and in the afternoon in the gap on this side of Salem, our Artillery was captured... n our trip we passed through a great many of the fashionable resorts of Virginia. White Sulphur Springs, within about 1 ½ miles of the Natural Bridge, but they say a “this is as good as a mile”, Warm Springs, Hot Springs, - at the later place I took a bath and the water was so warm that you could hardly stay in it; the Peaks of Otter and Hawks Nest at which place you can look down upon New River. I suppose it is about 400 feet down and the river looks like it was very near straight down but I saw several of the boys trying to throw in the river but they did not succeed.....”
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