2024-01 Raynors Americana Auction
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/20/2024
Union soldier's 8page letter written by Henry C. Layborn, at age 19, he mustered into "A" Co. OH 66th Infantry, 1/26/1864. He was Mustered Out on 7/15/1865 at Louisville, KY. Datelined, Camp on the Battlefield near the Chattahoochee River, Cobb Co., Georgia June 17th, 1864. In part, ""WE HAD TO GO RIGHT OVER A HILL IN THE HOTTEST OF THE FIRE. - THE BULLETS JUST CUT ALL AROUND ME, BUT FORTUNATELY I DID NOT GET HIT - USED MY OLD ENFIELD PRETTY BRISK. - WE HAVE BEEN FIGHTING HEAVY FOR THE LAST TWO DAYS & SOME 35 MORE OF THE OLD 66TH KILLED & WOUNDED. - We have had another Battle in which the 66th played a conspicuous part. I will give you a short account of one or two days' operations. - RIGHT IN FRONT OF US IS A VERY HIGH HILL ON WHICH THE REBS WAS WELL FORTIFIED. YESTERDAY OLD LIEUT. GEN. LEONIDAS POLK WAS STANDING ON TOP OF THE HILL LOOKING AT US WHEN KNAPP'S BATTERY OPENED ON THEM & KILLED THE OLD RASCAL AT THE SECOND SHOT, SO OUR BRIGADE HAS THE HONOR OF KILLING HIM FOR THE BATTERY BELONGS TO US. - SOON OLD JOE HOOKER CAME UP & ORDERED AN ADVANCE ON THE ENEMY. SOON WE CAME ON TO THEM & THE BATTLE BEGAN VERY HEAVY. - OUR MEN ADVANCED TO WITHIN 75 YARDS OF THEM BUT COULD GO NO FURTHER. - hey threw several shells into us. ONE FELL IN THE 66TH & WOUNDED 8 AT ONE SHOT. - Old Joe ordered up 100,000 rounds. It was a very dangerous job, but it had to be done. We took our gum blankets, & shelter tents & went at it. WE HAD TO GO RIGHT OVER A HILL IN THE HOTTEST OF THE FIRE. - THE BULLETS JUST CUT ALL AROUND ME, BUT FORTUNATELY I DID NOT GET HIT. - THE REB SHARPSHOOTERS WOULD COME OUT BEHIND TREES & WE WOULD KNOCK THEM OVER. COL. POWELL SHOT AT ONE FELLOW THREE TIMES & THE LAST SHOT HE TUMBLED OVER. - WE LOST SOME 25 MEN TODAY & WE ONLY HA D 180 MEN IN THE BATTLE ALL TOLD. So you may judge that they cracked it to us. - I SHOT UNTIL MY SHOULDER WAS SORE. WE DARE NOT RAISE OUR HEADS OVER THE WORKS FOR A BALL WOULD BE SURE TO ZIP CLOSE TO US. - I ALWAYS THOUGHT I COULD NEVER TAKE DEAD AIM AT A MAN, BUT IT DID NOT AFFECT ME THE LEAST & I SHOT JUST AS COOL AS IF I HAD BEEN AIMING AT A SQUIRREL - I don't know what it will be called, but think it will be the Battle of Big Shanty as it was close to the R. R. Station of that name. Our Division lost some 600 men today alone. - I tell you fighting is a terrible thing & you don't know one minute but what you will be hit the next. ONE OF CO. F WAS KILLED WITHIN A FEW FEET OF ME, BUT A PERSON DOES NOT THINK MUCH ABOUT IT AT THE TIME.- We marched over their works, halted & got breakfast. They had the best & strongest works I ever saw in my life. They was at least 8 or 10 feet thick & if we had of been in them, they could never of drove us out. I LOOKED AT THE LOGS IN FRONT OF OUR LINE & THEY WAS FULL OF BULLETS. So our Battle here was ended again. - From the top of Page 1, written upside down: This slip of a newspaper I found on the Battlefield yesterday. It is out of an Atlanta paper & confirms the death of Gen. Polk. (not present). ..."
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