EDWARDS WRITES USING CONFEDERATE PAPER & ENVELOPE

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/26/2023

This 4pp., pencil letter is datelined, Hanover Ferry, Han. Co. South Side of the Pamunkey River May 28th, 1864. In part, "WE ARE STILL COMPELLING LEE TO FALL BACK, AND I THINK HE WILL BE OBLIGED TO TAKE UP THE DEFENSES OF RICHMOND SOON. WEDNESDAY NIGHT WE WERE ENGAGED IN DESTROYING THE R. R. BETWEEN NOLES & HEWLETT'S STATION UPON THE VA. CENTRAL. ... THIS WAS A LARGE DAY FOR MY BOYS AS THEY CAPTURED PRISONERS, HORSES, MULES, CHICKENS, PIGS, AND A LARGE VARIETY OF ALMOST EVERYTHING. I CAPTURED A SADDLE, BRIDLE, HALTER, ALSO CAPT. MINON SOWARD'S TRUNK AND DISTRIBUTED THE CONTENTS TO MY MEN. I HAVE A LARGE COLLECTION OF REBELS' TROPHIES SUCH AS SWORDS, SPURS, BELTS, POWDER FLASKS, MOLDS, SADDLES, BAGS, ETC. ... MY LOSS UP TO THE PRESENT TIME IS ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-SIX, ABOUT FORTY OF THAT NUMBER ARE KILLED & MANY OF THE WOUNDED ARE MINUS ARMS & LEGS. OF THE OFFICERS DEAD ARE LEMONT, CLARK, STEVENS, LYONS. THOSE WHO ARE DOUBTFUL ARE HUTCHINGS, ROBERTSON, FOSS, GRANIN. IN THE OTHER REGT. OF THE BRIGADE, THEIR LOSS IS ALSO HEAVY. COL. CARROLL, WILLACE, COL. ALCOTT, WOUNDED AND LEFT IN THE HANDS OF THE ENEMY, CAPT. GORTON WOUNDED, CAPT. BUTTS KILLED & TEN OR ELEVEN MORE OF THE SAME REGT. IN THE 96TH THE LOSS WAS NEAR AS MUCH AS OURS, ALSO THE 95TH, BUT MY LOSS OF OFFICERS ARE GREATER THAN ANY IN THE SERVICE THAT I KNOW OF. 2/3 OF ALL I HAVE TAKEN INTO BATTLE ARE KILLED & WOUNDED. ... I THINK I WROTE TO YOU OF SEEING THE DEAD FIVE DEEP & THE WOUNDED ALMOST AT THE BOTTOM. WE HAVE TAKEN A LARGE NUMBER OF PRISONERS SINCE THIS CAMPAIGN & OUR REGT. STAND STILL AT THE HEAD.NO REGT. IN THE SERVICE HAS A BETTER RECORD THAN THE 5TH & NONE AS GOOD THAT I KNOW OF. IF ALL REGTS. HAD DONE AS MUCH, THIS REBELLION WOULD HAVE BEEN WIPED OUT LONG AGO. WE HAVE CAPTURED TWO THOUSAND PRISONERS, ARMS, AMMUNITION, CAISSONS, BATTERIES, FLAGS, ETC., but I will now close ..." The stamp has been taken off of the Confederate paper envelope.

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