2024-01 Raynors Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/20/2024
A great early war-date Union soldier's letter, 3pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. John H. Merrithew, Co. C, 23rd New York Volunteers, on "Be just, and fear not" Lady Liberty patriotic stationery, Upton's Hill, Va., Oct. 20, 1861, to his brother, in part: "- I have not seen a rebel since I have been in Virginia. They are very sly. They don't like our black guns. They say that they can tell when the twenty third is on picket. Our brigadier general Waswert [James S. Wadsworth] says that he dare not let our hole regiment go out for the boys are so fair to fight the rebels that they boys would go - go to Bull Run before they stopped - we are advancing on them all of the time. There is fore or five thousand of our troops on the south side of the Potomac now. There is about fifteen thousand cavalry on this side of the river too. There is about two hundred pieces of artillery and more [of a]ll kinds coming - we are on Upton's Hill. We have been here three weeks and we have built two forts - and three breastworks on the hill and chopped nearly a thousand cords of woodland - your brother John Merrithew - direct your letter to Upton Hill, Washington, D. C. 23 regiment N. Y. Volunteers in care of Captain S. Barstow. Negligible paper loss, else near fine.
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