39th Massachusetts Letter with Content

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008

Autograph Letter Signed, “Thomas Bean” 39th Massachusetts Infantry, taken POW at Weldon Railroad, 18p. octavo, January 28, 1864, In camp near the Rapidan River, and reads in part: “...The farms are in large Plantations with one good house for the Master and family and lots of small ones for the Negroes mostly built of logs...the ravages of war have told heavily upon it. The country about here is mostly deserted of inhabitants some have gone North and some South...Soliders will get along the easiest way if they can get wood easiest by tearing down a house down comes the house, if there is a rail fence within a mile it will get burnt...a great many old ruins of Plantations and Villages...OUr camp is in plain sight of Cedar and Slaughter Mountains where the great battle was fought under Pope and I have been over most of the old Battle fields and seen some hardy looking sights...our General read the news of General Grants great battle and victory in Tennessee...on the famous Plank road from Fredericksburg to Gordonsville...we heard guns in several directions and we kept down the Plank road pas the house where General Jackson diee...soon we saw an explosion about a mile ahead and our Regiment were in the advance...found the Reb. cavalry had attacked our ammunition train and blowed up and burnt some of the wagons carried off some and killed some of the mules ad few men were wounded and one reb killed....news came from the Fifth corps the enemy were strong in front and we had to go and support them...came out where they had a skirmish the day befoe...and began to buid a line of Fortifications...began to hear Picket firing in front up as soon we came out to an open field and halted...in a few minutes the big guns began to bellow on a hill close to us and the shell to screach and whistle ...the rebs found where we were and returned the compliments by the way of shell. Here we threw out skirmishers and they and the rebs had it pretty brisk but we were not allowed any fires or to go where the Rebs could see us...our Brigade was moved to the right...the spell was broken by a long 32 pounder close to us and followed by others all along the line except the extreme right under General French his failing to come to time and the rebs not opening very brisk...” Much more. About VG.

Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).