2025-01 Raynors Historical Collectible Auctions
Absentee bidding for this session ends on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST.
The live portion of this session begins on Saturday, January 25, 2025 at 10:00 AM EST
A good early war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written on American flag patriotic stationery, by Corp. John March, Co. A, 23rd New York Vols., Fort Hoffman, [Virginia] August 1861, to his sister, reading, in part: "- we have some sick and some dead. We have had one death this morning by a tree falling on him but the rest I think will live - Mr. James Hammond has got the fever and ague. He shook so hard last nit that when he stopped shaking - he found himself three miles from the camp. Bill has got it too but he is to damn large to shake - nite before last we had a very nice time. We was called out about 11 o'clock and we marched over ten miles through the rain and mud. The mud was up to our nees. We went without eating 2 days and had to march all the time. We went to Falls Church and had a few rounds with the rebels and then marched back - we cleaned them out whare ever we went but the bullets whistled around our heads pretty thick for a little while but we stood it like a man. The rebels - are afraid to stand up to the rock like we do. General McDowell says that the 23 regt aint worth a damn to mark but they are on hand when they wont to. Last to go out - they wanted us to chop trees down but we would not. We are the laziest regt in Virginia but we are ready when they want us to fite. We are ready every time. We are in a brigade now. We are in General McDowell's brigade. We don't like him, but we will have to stand it. We will have a fite soon now for the rebels are advancing on us everyday - but we will stop them if they don't stop them rebels pretty soon - your affectionate brother, John March." Overall VG.
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