2021-10 Raynors HCA Live
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/15/2021
Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Sergeant Charles J. Baxter, Co. F, 27th New Jersey Vols., "On picket duty along the Rappahannock, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 1862," to his family, reading, in part: "-my circumstances or surrounding are at present rather peculiar - I am in full sight of a good portion of the ground on which was fought - oh, what scenes have transpired on the landscape. I have behold how many brave have bitten the dust & get nothing is [in] the result. The ground on which we laid the Saturday night after the battle I can plainly see - the Rebels are just across the river working like bees at their rifle pits that they [?] let us cross again - I hear a band playing but cannot distinguish the tune. Some that are nearer than myself say that it is Dixie - it is quite a source of wonderment among us that the enemy are allowed to strengthen their position when they could be driven away by our guns of short range - the pontoons are all here yet so I doubt if there is a movement in any other portion of the army soon - I am of the opinion that (in consequence of Jim Henry's being under eighteen) he could be taken out of the service - if Uncle Sharp could do it without incurring too much expense I would think it advisable. The winter's campaign is no more likely to use him up than a great many others - many of the most rugged in the Regt. are now in the hospital. A solider is cast entirely upon his own resources. He must take care of himself or be uncared for - when a person is taken sick here his choices of dying are first rate. The are a number of men in the Regt. who are dangerously sick, but as we are on active duty, scarcely any attention can be given them. Wm. H. Courson of Co. D died last night. When at home he lived Jackson Pellet. His father is a farmer - Katie expresses a great desire to have something from Dixie. I might have secured some valuable trophy when we took possession of Fredericksburg & would have - if I had not been under the impression that we would make it permanent quarters - I presume Daniel [Capt. Bailey] is home by this time - Lieut. Cook [1st Lt. George w. Cooke] has gotten to be a terrible fellow since. He acts as a commandant of the Co. He reduced Matthew [Sgt. Matthew B. VanNostrand] to the ranks for a very trivial offense. [who was again reduced to the ranks in May, 1863] Col. Mindil restored him to his position & reprimanded our worthy Lieut. in the presence of the whole Regt. - Chas. J. Backster." A bit light with minor soiling, else VG.
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