Raynors HCA 2019-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/30/2019
War-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 4to., written by Pvt. Harrison Gibble (Gipple in the CW database), Co. A, 79th Penn. Vols., Chattanooga, Tenn., Dec. 4, 1863, to his friend, Henry C. Gringrich, in part: "…to describe to you with pleasure the great fighting and victory we achieved last week…more severe to the rebs than any battle yet fought…it commenced last Monday…and co tinned for 3 successive days…the rebs [are] in retreat all demoralized. Our men have followed them and have fought more or less every day since the commencement…our brigade was to hold the fortifications and was…in Fort Negley, the nearest fort to the rebel lines. We could see all the fighting for three days and one night. This fort has 24 small cannon and 4 thirty two pounders. The large guns was nearly all the time fired. The first day Lookout Mountain was taken with but a small loss on our side. The rebs fired…too high (this mountain is 3000 ft. high and almost impossible to get up. Our men captured 5 guns, 1 heavy…and much prisoners. Next day, (2nd) it commenced a little nearer our fort on the right and left of Missionary ridge which was all fortified on top of the mountain by the rebs…all was visible to our naked eye, even Bragg's head quarters. Our men commenced about 8 o'clock to shell the ridge and in less then 5 minutes our first gun roared the rebs left off about 50 guns…along the ridge…our men moved on the right and left of the Mt…on the…N. W. side, a part of our corps the 14th…commenced to move to the to of the ridge in…deep cuts or gullies till they were almost on the rebels backs [who] was busy…fighting the other diction…when the cannon of ours ceased, on the opposite of the mountain our infantry made a charge on the batteries and rifle pits and captured over 50 cannons and about 5 to 7000 prisoners…the rebs burned as much of their commissary stores as they could. The third day was not so much fighting…we was…ordered to move out of our entrenchments…to protect from a cavalry raid into our lines. The next day we was ordered to move…to take charge of prisoners. We got between 5 & 6000 in our charge…to Bridgeport. A distance of 43 miles…did not get no sleep all the time. We had too many for such a small regiment. We left them on an island…in charge of other troops. There was some 3 to 4,000 there already before we brought our squad. We rested a little…then started back for Chattanooga…and met squads of prisoners all the way…by good authority…there is over 20,000 prisoners and from 80 to 100 cannon and many horses and mules. Their horses and mules are in a much better condition then ours…also captured much of their stores…they believe that this fight will bring this rebellion nearly to a close…if Bragg don't get reinforced by some other general…we have now got his salt peter works and coal mines etc…this last fight we lost but a small number of men killed, but a good many wounded. There is 5 rebs dead to our one…I seen one place where 35 dead rebs laid and only 4 of ours. The whole battle lines is strewn with…dead…we must do the best we can to keep up the Stars and Stripes…H. Gibble.". VG
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