2020-07 2 sessions
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/23/2020
Rare war-date Union adjutant's letter referencing his regiment after the battle of Fair Oaks (Seven Pines) Virginia, 4pp. 8vo., written by Adjutant & 2nd Lt. Thompson D. Hart, 104th Pennsylvania Vols., "Dispatch Station, R. & W. P. R. R., June 24, 1862," to his wounded commander Col. William Watts Hart Davis, reading, in small part: "…we are all feeling secure from Guerrilla Raids in our rear, or 'Rebel Attacks' in front. We have one company constantly on duty…on the approaches to the RR in our vicinity..of this morning…for duty 17 officers & 422 men…diarrhea is our greatest trouble…one half of the Regt. is affected by this disease…we ace drawn…light blue pants and blouses for the men…all of Casey's ground is not yet held by the Federal troops. Casey's pickets were further out than the pickets now are. Very strong entrenchments & earth works have been erected where we had only rifle pits. Quite a large number of heavy guns have been sent up the RR since we have been here. We can distinctly hear the discharges of artillery everyday and almost every night as one party or the other attempts to reconnoiter. It is expected McClellan will make a strike for a point 2 1/2 miles from Richmond…should he succeed…Richmond will be within range of his guns & must fall…relative to recruiting…Gen. [James] Naglee would not care if a half dozen line officers would offer their resignations as then he would try to consolidate our companies…to fill the Regt. He would approve their resignations. He told me so much today. Col. Nields [Lt. Col. John W. Nields, WIA Fair Oaks, Va.] & I were taking this matter over since I saw Naglee. We do not think it right that our brave sergeants rights to promotion should be set aside to make room for men who never saw a Rebel while they have risked everything…Naglee don't want any promotions made until he can see if he can accomplish his purpose. I hope you will try to head him off and that our brave boys who are in the line of promotion may get some reward for their bravery. I would be glad to see Sergt. Major in a lieutenancy. He behaved well at Fair Oaks…I have…all the names of the men…in action at Fair Oaks with the remarks…such as killed, wounded & missing…[Naglee's] Hd. Qrs. are about 2 miles from us on the other side of Chickahominy…I hope our absentees will come back as soon as possible, particularly the line officers, Company's H. & I. have no commissioned officers…I have put [1st Lt. Mattias] Lehnen in charge of H. & [1st Lt. David] Hibbs in charge of Co. I. The chaplain tells me your arm continues very painful. This I am sorry to learn as we cannot expect to see you as soon as we otherwise would…T. D. Hart, Adjt…". Negligible, slight paper loss at top margin of last page, else VG
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