2025-01 Raynors Historical Collectible Auctions
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/25/2025
Grouping of three Confederate letters written and signed by William A. Young (not listed in database) but served in the 13th Virginia. The first 4pp letter, datelined Camp near Petersburg, VA. August 6, 1864, in part, “... I was truly glad to hear from you and to hear that you and Mrs. Herndon were well, but grieved to hear that Mr. Wayland had to have his am amputated. I fear he has been afflicted so long that the disease has got all through his system which if be the case, I fear he will never recover .. We all know he can't remain a great while in this world, but if it the Lord's will to take him from all that is near and dear to him on earth, then loss will be his gain. If I was only as good a Christian as I think him to be, I would be perfectly willing to say Lord thy will be done, but as it is I am too wicked to live. I truly wish that I was a little boy. ... We are still in the same camp from which I wrote you last. I suppose you have seen in the papers where General Grant sprung one of his tricks in front of Petersburg. It occurred hardly a mile to our left. I visited the place on Sunday the next day after the mine was sprung. It was a grand sight undoubtedly. The Yankees and Negroes were lying crossed and piled every way. The ground was black with them, and I could look around and see a good many of our brave and noble boys, a great many of them, covered nearly entirely up with the dirt. I heard today from very good authority that our men had struck two tunnels that they had very near completed. One of them was charged. had the powder in it. Our engineers are very busy trying their hands upon Mr. Grant. We are expecting every day to have another blow up. Something they are trying to under mind a pushing of the line just to the left of our Brigade. If they are and succeed, we, that is our Brigade, will have a pretty hard time of it. Everything is perfectly quiet along the line except a few shells thrown from both sides. While I am writing there is very heavy cannonading on our extreme left. Our Army is in fine health and in good spirits. ...” Letter 2; Dateline 2pp., Line of Battle Near Petersburg, Va., July 22nd, 1864, in large part “... Since I heard from you last, we have had a pretty hard time of it. Since the 12th of May our Brigade has missed all of the hard fighting, but we have had a great deal of hard work and hard marching to do and a good deal of skirmishing to do, and I feel thankful that I came through all of them unhurt. Since the campaign opened, we have had one man killed and have 13 missing and we fear that four or five of the 13 have been killed. Among the number of missing is Sergeant Peel. We heard from him and five others of the company yesterday. They are at Fort Delaware, well and doing well as could be expected. We are at this time about two miles south of Petersburg. We have been on the front line in the ditches for almost six weeks. The Yanks are entrenched about six hundred yards in our front. Our pickets and theirs are not more than a hundred yards apart. ... The Blue Coats are very tame. For several days our boys traded with them a good deal, but for the last four or five days, all communications with the enemy have been stopped by orders from Marse Bob. All the damage Grant is doing at this time is throwing a few shells in the lamented City of Petersburg. They have knocked the houses to pieces a good deal and killed some few free Negroes which is not much loss in the Confederacy or any body else. ...If I only had a servant, I would send up about Farmerville or some other place where I could get something good to eat. ... “ Letetr 3; Dateline 2pp., Camp Near Orange Court House, Va. April 3rd, 1964, in large part, “... I have not visited your old neighborhood since Christmas. I have been trying to get up there for the last month but it seems like I can't get off. ... Did the Yankees visit you on the raid to Charlottesville? Everything is quiet along the Rapidan. The troops are in good health and spirits. We are getting plenty of rations. ... If the roads are so the Yankees can move their artillery and wagon trains, I think Grant will make a desperate effort to take Richmond. But if he does, be very careful. He will come out of the little end of the hoses like all of the rest of their Generals that had come against Marse Bob. ...”
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