Union Soldier's Letter to His Wife in Vermillion County, Illinois. Dated March 12, 1863. Sent from Camp Bradley near Murfreesboro, Tennessee
3 pages on a single sheet folded to make 4 pages. 25 cm. Clear and readable. No punctuation. About 4cm. trimmed off at bottom of page 3/4 (blank portion beneath Smith's signature at end of letter). 4th page blank. Later folds for mailing in a small envelope. Original envelope present, opened on three sides -- no postage stamp; "Due 3" stamped on front. A recent transcription, with periods added, is included. We were intrigued by the following: "We have been laying out of doors for 4 days. Our Division is still out yet. They have been away for 17 days. When last heard from they were at Franklin -- about 30 miles from here. They expected to have a fight in close to that place with Old Van Dorn [Major General Earl Van Dorn] but he concluded that it would be too warm in there for good health and he skedaddled with his Negro Battalions of which the most of his force consists. The old Rebel made out to decoy and capture about a thousand of our men last week. Nearly all the men he had in the engagement were Negroes. But the Black rascals got cutt up pretty badly any how." [punctuation added]. Rumors of armed Black soldiers among Confederate forces were probably rampant but none ever served under Van Dorn or elsewhere in the Confederate Army as Southerners were afraid to arm their supposedly loyal and contented slaves. The "decoy and capture" must refer to the Battle of Thompson's Station which occurred on March 5th. Van Dorn's forces captured a Union Brigade led by Colonel John Coburn who, after serving time in Libby prison and being exchanged, served with more success under General Sherman. Sergeant Smith, of Company C, 73rd Illinois Infantry, was killed in the Battle of Chickamauga on Sept, 20, 1863. Good. Item #88840
Price: $200.00