2023-08 Raynors HCA Live
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/26/2023
Union soldier's letter written by Timothy Parker who on 8/18/1862 he mustered into "A" Co. CT 18th Infantry. Was captured, POW 6/15/1863 Winchester, VA., and was Mustered Out on 6/27/1865 at Harper's Ferry, WV. Parker is writing his sister upon his arrival at Camp Parole in Annapolis, Maryland on July 6th, 1862. In part, "..College Green Barracks is where paroled prisoners are first sent when they come here in order to clean up and get some clean clothing etc. and then come here until exchanged sometimes being months before it happens; but I will now commence back a few weeks and mention some of the things which have happened since you heard from me At Winchester. ... pitched tents which had been done only for a short time when our pickets gave the alarm and the 18th being nearest the point of action were soon then engaged in skirmishing with the enemy and were soon supported by a battery of artillery which made things look quite lively. ... The shells flying quite briskly, this is 1/2 or 3/4 mile from camp, but where I could see what was going on... I was busily engaged in the meantime in taking down tents and loading the wagons after which was done I had a chance to watch the progress of the fight. ..The wagons (7 of them) would not contain near all of the baggage. the knapsacks of the whole regiment being left on the ground. The wagons were then started for the fortifications on the other side of the city and I waited for some of them to come back for the rest of the baggage.. while waiting for them to come back, another battery of artillery came down and halted a few minutes in the road along side of our camp. The enemy seeing them commenced throwing shot and shell at them and we being directly in range were gently admonished by whizzing and falling shell around us, concluded we had better get out of that place ... I went into the fort and it being on a hill, I had an opportunity of watching the skirmishing going on with occasionally a shell from our batteries, the enemy did not appear in any force on Saturday. On Sunday morning our skirmishers were again sent out to look after the enemy in front and in the city the skirmishing was quite sharp all day and once in a while a shell would be sent into the woods from our guns in order to draw out the enemy if possible but they would not reply but there was a suspicious quietness which did not seem right I was engaged during the day on Sunday in drawing rations and attending to the making of coffee and cooking so as to refresh our boys when there was a chance. ...ALL ON A SUDDEN FROM THE HILL IN OUR REAR CAME THE ROAR OF ARTILLERY SHOWING WHY THE ENEMY HAD BEEN QUIET ALL DAY AND THE SHOT AND SHELL FELL THICK AND FAST REPLIED TO GALLANTLY BY WHAT FEW PIECES OF CANNON WE HAD POSTED IN THE FORTIFICATIONS AROUND THE TEAMS. ...CO. A HAD CAPTURED THAT DAY A HORSE AND SADDLE WITH A MAN SUPPOSED TO BE A SPY AND THE HORSE WAS TURNED OVER TO OUR QUARTERMASTER SO I HAD A HORSE AND WENT ON WITH THE WAGONS. The firing was kept up until after dark and then all was still soon after dark, an officer came along and told those in charge of the wagons to have the animals unhitched and be ready to start at the order leaving all the wagons behind. which was soon done and the horses and mules mounted by the men in charge & the guards ready for a start. After this I went back into the fort with the Quarter master and we laid down on a pile of knapsacks and slept a short time. Soon the Colonel came along and said get ready to retreat. I got a lot of hard bread for the boys and two or three o'clock on Monday morning WE LEFT THE FORTS AFTER HAVING SPIKED THE CANNON and commenced our retreat towards Martinsburg leaving everything in the shape of baggage behind, all of course fell into the hands of the enemy in the morning. We had got about four miles from Winchester and were rather carelessly going by a piece of woods when a few scattering shots told of the presence of the enemy. ...After a few scattering shots the rebs poured in a whole volley musketry and commenced shelling which startled the men on horses and mules and they rushed with confusion through the ranks of infantry, creating great disorder and for the time being almost a retreat. AFTER A WHILE THEY RALLIED AND THE 18TH FOUGHT NOBLY UNTIL AFTER SUNRISE. I cannot state the particulars of the battle it would take too much time and space. I saw Alfred a short time before the battle commenced and relieved him of a hospital knapsack containing medicine which he was carrying and which I carried until after the surrender. I kept along just in the rear of the regiment during the fight and until the surrender I WAS CONSTANTLY UNDER FIRE AND IN DANGER BUT NOT HALF AS MUCH AS THE MEN IN THE RANKS MANY OF WHOM WERE KILLED & WOUNDED COL. ELY WAS AS BRAVE AS A LION AND WON THE ADMIRATION OF ALL BOTH IN HIS OWN REGIMENT AND OTHERS. ... HE WAS IN COMMAND OF A BRIGADE, HAD ONE HORSE SHOT FROM UNDER HIM AND HAD HIS SWORD BROKEN WITH A SHELL. Nearly all our officers I hear behaved well. AFTER THE SURRENDER WE WERE TAKEN BACK TO THE FORT WE HAD LEFT THAT MORNING AND OVER WHICH THE REBEL RAG WAS FLYING, THEY REFUSED TO LET US BURY OUR DEAD I DON'T KNOW WHY. WE STAYED IN THE FORT UNTIL WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON AND AWFUL DIRTY, DUSTY AND NO SHELTER FROM THE HOT SUN WHICH WAS SCORCHING. THE WATER WAS POOR AND DUST BLEW FURIOUSLY AND BUT LITTLE TO EAT. YOU CAN IMAGINE HOW SOME 3000 OR MORE OF US MANAGED TO GET ALONG SLEEPING IN THE DIRT. ..We marched on foot and arrived there the next Monday afternoon. We marched during the day and at night had our food issued to us consisting of about a pint of flour a small piece of meat which we could see and a pinch of salt. We mixed the flour with water and cooked in plates making a kind of pan cake not very light. This was our food for the next 5 days. We slept on the ground most anywhere. It rained several times on our way there which made it most uncomfortable especially raining at night and no shelter. The officers fared the same as the men all footing it into Stanton. We were not allowed to be with them they marching under a separate guard but we usually encamped near together at night. I got an opportunity to speak with them once on the route. From Stanton we went to Richmond by cars. WE ARRIVED THERE TUESDAY MORNING AND WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE LIBBY PRISON where we stayed overnight and the next afternoon WENT TO A MISERABLE HOLE ON BELLE ISLAND where we stayed until the men here want to get furloughs and go home if it is possible. ... Since I came here, I learn of the whereabouts of a number of whom I knew nothing and find some escaped and some taken prisoners and paroled without being sent to Richmond. I have met with two persons here I was acquainted with a long time ago. One is a captain. I boarded with him when I was living in New York the other is Nat. Grumman son of Grumman who lived up by the church. he is a paroled prisoner and belonged to the 20th Conn. has been here since sometime in May.I enclose for a curiosity a piece of the grating from a window in Libby prison [unfortunately not present]. I could write much more but am getting tired.
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