2024-01 Raynors Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/20/2024
War-date Union cavalryman's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Private William H. Peck, Co. G, 3rd New York Cavalry, "Camp Rocky Run, New Berne, [N. C.], July 8, 1863," to his wife, in part: "I have got back from one of the hardest marches I have ever been on. We got back yesterday being gone five days. We started the 3d - it was awful hot. The march liked to killed our horses. It was a regular cavalry raid up into the interior of this state. There was 15 companies of cavalry and 6 pieces of artillery. We traveled night and day. It was awful hot and dusty. The object was to get horses and mules and negroes from the rebus and to destroy the railroad at - Warsaw on the Wilmington and Goldsboro R. Road. We done all that we were sent to do. We expected to be gone 10 days - we burnt a large manufactory where the rebels made swords and lances and destroyed immense quantities of bacons, hams, flour, cotton, pork and turpentine and all kinds of stores. We surprised and captured a good many rebel soldiers and we didn't lose a man. There was a great of money and other valuables got by our boys. I captured a very nice revolver and nine hundred and thirty four dollars in money and a splendid double barrel shot gun. The money is not good outside the Confederate States but I hope to make something out of it. I will send you a ten dollar bill to let you see how it looks - I mean to make it fetch me a hundred dollars - I spent the 4 of July chasing rebel pickets. [Corp.] Horace Hudson [Corporal, later Captain 1st USCT Cavalry] and myself and two others were the advance of the column. We were about sixty rods ahead of the rest and had to keep our eyes open - see any rebels ahead, charge them. There was ten of twelve rebels by a meeting house - we were ordered to charge them and it was - so dark we could not see the place till we got right opposite it - they fired into us and we gave them the contents of our revolvers and they all run into the woods - we went 8 miles - there was a whole company encamped. We - charged into their camp and took a lot of prisoners and horses - all their camp equipage. After we destroyed the RR and telegraph we started for New Berne. The rebels were getting together all they could, to cut us off and capture us. They got a large force together and we expected to have a hard fight but old Gen. Foster knew too much for them. He sent us two brigades of infantry and two batteries of artillery. They met us before the rebus did and they dare not attack us - you would have laughed to see the train of negroes that followed us - there was hundreds of them - Wm. H. Peck." Negligible ink swipes, else VG.
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