2009-04
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/31/2009
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp 8vo., written in ink, by Pvt. Henry Elmer, Battery E, 4th United Sates Artillery, Cedar Mountain, [Va.], Sept. 23, 1863 concerning fighting rebel forces at the Sept. 13, 1863 battle of Culpeper Court House during an advance in force from the Rappahannock to the Rapidan Rivers that proceeded the Bristoe Campaign. Numerous Union cavalry regiments were engaged, including Custer's Wolverines, in this Union victory where over fifty Union casualties were record, in part: "…I will give you some statement of our performance…in this god forsaken country. We left Sulpher Springs…one week ago…we came to hasal river. We crossed the river at 6 o'clock in the morning, drove the Rebs before us like sheep, only some times not so easy…sometimes they would stop and shell us a little. They killed one horse from under the rider and killed one man on his horse departing our battery…our battery soon stopped theirs from barking. They threw the shells over our regiment pretty freely…till we got sight of them. We drove them through Culpeper [and] took possession of the town and railroad [in] back of town. We captured 3 pieces of artillery, 75 prisoners. We [are] in campt about tow miles on this side of Culpeper. That night [we] did not unsaddle our horses…the next morning we…martch to Cedar Mountain…that is the old battle ground. You can see plenty of skulls lying there but they did not stop for…we came on them too close…their fires were burning very bright…but no Rebs…last Saturday our regiment started out at three o'clock to drive in their pickets. The run was very high [as] it had rained very heavy …there was about 20 of the rebs at the ford on the other side of the run. They did not see us till we got to the top of the hill…about three hundred yards from them…we gave out the yells and down the hill they fired at us and then run for their horses. We could barely get over the creek. It swam[ped] the horses but we drove them cross the Robson River. Some left their horses and swam across…they opened [with] grape and canister on us. We turned and went back at the walk…". VG
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