65th Ohio Letter Group KIA at Resaca, Georgia

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005

Correspondence group of fifty (50) Autograph Letters Signed by Henry Elliott who enlisted as a private into company 'K' of the 65th Ohio Infantry in December 1861, he would serve with this unit through their battles at Shiloh, Stones River, Chickamauga and Missionary Ridge, until his death on May 14, 1864 at Resaca, Georgia. This letter group consists of mostly multi-paged letters which are fully signed and are addressed to family back in Ohio. The letters date from December of 1861 through April 1864. Some brief content includes: "…[1/12/62]we are going away tomorrow towards Green River where the Rebels are encamped some of the brigade has gone on. There is four Regiments in this Brigade…the officers are very good…[1/27/62] if it had not been fro the bad roads we might have been in the fight with Old Zollicoffer but thank God he is dead now and his and Peyton's coffin passed this gap yesterday on their way to Danville. I seen both of the coffins and they were plain. Some of the boys were so wicked as to cut pieces off them to take home with them and I did not like to see it. The horses and mules 700 in number passed through at the same time besides 3 prisoners one of them is here now. He was surgeon he was formerly from Maysville, Ohio he is a rebel of the deepest dye…[8/26/62 Bowling Green, Ky]the rebel Morgan is within 20 miles of here burning and destroying villages in his way. We expect an attack from him tonight….[3/11/63]we are within 9 miles of Nashville and that place is now filled with our troops…the rebels are retreating still lower south every day. We are driving them before it is supposed that they will make a stand…the rebels they don't wear uniform like we do they wear any kind they can get a hold of. There was a load of their arms passed here 3 days ago and they consisted of old rifles and shot guns but they have plenty of money with them…we seen a great many deserted houses and burnt buildings [missing portion of top of page 1]….[4/10/63]Old Rosa has taken away two regts from us and is a going to mount them on horses and they are going to put us in command of this post which is called No. 9…[5/8/63]old Bragg is in a tight place at the present and he will have to move about as quick as he ever did or he will get caught in a net for Grant is coming in from the South west and Burnside is coming from the east and Old Rosa from the North west and he is about gone up Salt River for good…[9/8/63] we are now before Chattanooga skirmishing as we go. We were out yesterday and one of Co. F was killed with a shell it taking the top of his head off. They came so close to me that I had to dodge around like a monkey to keep out their way. We were so close the rebs that we could hear them talking . We give them some leaden pills to digest and in return they give us some shells…[10/5/62]have been on detached duty at Louisville two months in the cavalry lines scouting around the country from there I went to Nashville there got to the regiment then we marched to Bowling Green Ky rested 3 or 4 days when we heard that Bragg with 75000 troops were at Green River we drove in his pickets and rear guard taking several prisoners till we got to the river where some cannonading and musketry went off sharp for a short time. The main part of their force having left for Louisville but we pushed ahead taking all who got in our way once in a while the cavalry would make a dash on them. We got to close to them and they sheered off to the right….[10/9/63]there are a number of our boys wounded and some of us are going down to see them as soon as the Govornor will give passes…H. Slack led us on our major going in front I must say of this man that I never seen such coolness before in my life. He just took the prisoners in by the score poor man he was wounded Sunday and is now dead. Our reg't was then ordered to the left here the rebels came in in force and the bullets flew as thick as hail and tore up the ground cutting up the under brush like a scythe we had been laying down and were ordered to fix bayonets I had just loaded and primed my gun and got up on my feet to fire when pop went a ball through the hollow of my right foot. I did not fall but my knee bent quick. I tell you I looked around from where the ball came and I seen a reb behind a tree and I took aim and fired and he gave one yell and he fell to rise no more. Then I was sent back to the rear with three Rebel prisoners. I got half a mile and my foot gave out and one of our men came with some more and took them with him…the ball that struck my foot had struck in the hollow and tore up the flesh and went through the lower side. I was then sent to a field house and staid all night in the yard and next morning was sent to my brigade hospital…[12/17/63]we came over the old Chickamauga battle field coming along we found two or three of our brave mens bodies laying along the road that were killed at that battle. We took spades and went to burying them but as we went along we found more of them so that I got up on a knoll and looked around I counted some forty or fity of them. Some with their skulls knocked off and some had their clothes jerked off kicked and cuffed around some were found with their heads stock and poles with bodies flung on to stumps and rails. It was a horrid sight as much as I have seen of the bloody battlefields this was too much. If there is a hell to which sinners will go it will be this damnable Braggs army for the inhumane treatment of the dead bodies of our men…my Darkey has run off and enlisted taking the Captains blanket along with him so I can't take his likeness…[12/18/63] went through the city of Louisville we did not see one rebel flag o nthe way at all…about two thirds of the people are negro slaves. There is some rebels here but they keep very still and don't say much…[4/1/64] We had review today but it rained so the General did not come so we were ordered back to our quarters…[4/3/64] we had review the other day in the rain and the boys did not like it very well and cursed the old Colonel right well and he heard it too and the regiment was halted and ordered arms and he gave them a talking to on the spot and in the evening he had the regiment drawed up in front of his quarters to see how many veterans he could get. Well he got 12 men and that was all he could get and Colonel Harker was there trying all he could to get some more but it was played out for that time but he said that one veteran is worth 12 new recruits and he said it paid him for his trouble…" Most VG to Fine, unless noted….plus; Approximately 40 letters by members of the Henry Elliot family from the mid 1860's to late 1860's. Most VG and with covers. (Approximately 90 items)

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