2020-07 2 sessions
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/23/2020
War-date Union officer's battle letter, 6pp. folio & 4to., written by 1st Lt. Harrison Hume, 11th Maine Vols., Meridian Hill, Bottoms Bridge, [Va.], June 19, 1862, to his father, reading, in small part: "…we have changed our camp…we are on a dry knoll…the air is foully polluted…we have no picket nor fatigue duty to perform…scurvy has appeared among the troops…I don't wonder that it appeared for the troops have been fed on pork & hard bread…since they have been on the Peninsula…[it] makes me sick to think of the grease that I have seen used…they have now ordered to be drawn for the troops, potatoes, dried apples & pickles…last night I commenced my field duties as adjutant, such as dress parade, guard mounting, etc. I found no difficulty in performing them…the troops that are there are…ready for a battle…the Press of the country is investigating…about Casey's Division &…Congress will take hold of it soon…we are having justice done us…the papers are showing that Casey's Division instead of being cowards, held forty thousand of the enemy in check…until…Sumner's Corps could cross the Chickahominy…had we been the cowards Mac called us, the enemy would have rushed right on &…driven us into the Chickahominy…McClellan's army would have been destroyed…we held them until a bridge could be finished for Sumner's men to cross…& threaten the enemy's right…this saved us…the enemy…were obliged to fall back to save themselves. Had Gen. Mac had any qualities of Napoleon…he would have flanked an enemy…why did he not…because he was not on the field until the next day &…there was no communication between the two wings of his army. Either wing was liable to be overpowered before the other could come to its support, but the country don't know it. Keyes Corps was at the mercy of the enemy…Gen. Naglee called attention of Gen. McClellan to a bridge which should be built over the Chickahominy to establish communication between the two wings…he paid no attention to it. Naglee determined on having that bridge built…he sent…all the pioneers of his brigade…to work. I was in command of one of the companies & poor West [KIA Seven Pines] in command of the other. We worked there all the afternoon…Casey was mad because Naglee had his men at work…& ordered us in. We were some four miles from camp & outside the picket line…we should have fixed the road & bridge so that infantry could have passed…the day of the battle…we were…ordered back to camp for we were weak from starvation…we cursed Naglee for putting us way down there at work. But it proved that he was right…when the battle was commenced he was down there with a few men, at work…that bridge saved us from defeat!…to Naglee, the credit is due…Sumner's troops…crossed with some difficulty…his ammunition wagons came down & the water continued to rise…they were all…lost; they had a terrible time & could not cross…[had] McClellan…been a great Gen. we would have flanked the enemy…newspaper correspondents tell how boldly he jumped…the stream & swam it…one of the captains…saw him ride over…that dispatch has hurt him & proved…that he is not a great man…Col. Belknap of the 85th NYV…was posted in the rifle pits…he held his fire until the enemy came…into the field…he told his men to aim low…they mowed the rebels down by scores…he wholly destroyed two or three regiments…he gave his men the order to get out…the best way they could…the first thing he knew he was into a Virginia Regt. who sent him to the rear under guard…[this] regiment was attacked by our troops &…he ran away…he ran into a North Carolina Regt. & was agin taken…when their guns was empty…he ran away again & escaped…Rebel prisoners…say that they lost more men when engaged with Casey's Division than any other…Casey lost every fourth man…Harrison." Very minor toning, else VG.
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