October 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, October 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2014
Confederate lot of 5 letters by George W. Walden of the 11th Alabama, Co. I, with first-hand battle content of Gettysburg, Fredericksburg II and Spotsylvania Court House. Letters are all written to Eveline Storey, a young woman with whom he began a correspondence when he wrote to inform her of the death of her fiancee James W. Anthony, his fellow soldier in the 11th AL. His first letter follows the Second Battle of Fredericksburg, dated 19 May 1863, telling her of Anthony's death: ''...it is with a sad hart that I seate myself to answer a letter which come hear to James Anthony. James was one of my warmes friends he was one of my messmates and it grieves my hart to write to you that James was kild in the late battle at Fredericksburg he was kild Sunday may the 3rd on Sunday morning before we engaged the enemy I told james if I shold get kild I wanted him to take all my letters in hand and he told me the same...I reade all of his letters and answered them and then burn them it was like losing a brother for me to lose James and it is worse than loosing a brother with you fore it appearse from yore letter that James had gained yore affections and I sympathize with you...it was his intention to marry you if he had lived...James was a studdy and pious yong man he had no foes in his company he was agreeable with all of his comrades no person cold finde falt of him he was a brave man and died in a glorious cause we was advancing on the enemy and he was first struck on the foot with a ball and and he turned around to go back to go out but he discovered that he was not very bad hurt and the brave man turnd and went back in to the fight and was kild...G.W. Walden''. He writes again on 12 July 1863 of the Battle of Gettysburg, ''...while we was in line of battle in the state of Pennsylvania just after two days hard fighting we lost a great many of our brave Southern boys and left them to bee buryed in the enemys land we are now in the state of Maryland in line of battle near boonsburow we ar expecting a seveare fight hear today we have a good breast work to fight them behind hear. They cant hurt us much. You asked me to write to you a gaine if it wold not bee to much trouble I will answer this one and a hundred more if you write them yore leters interest me more than any persons letters I ever read to have no acquaintance only by the means of pen and ink you wished to know where Mr. Anthony was shot he was shot through the head on Sunday the third about 4 oclock in the evening he was kild dead on the field he was buryed tusday the 5th myself and others of his friends selected a butiful place in a orchard and give him as deasent a buryal as we could tho not like it wold have bin don at home. You know we have had two hard fights since that time and the good hand of the lord has protected me which I am veary thankful for and I vow to live obedient to him the Remainder of my days...G.W. Walden''. In May of 1864 he writes to her reporting on the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse, ''...we was then on the march to Adearsvill on the Rapahancock River the Yankees was then on the south side of the river. We arrived there the 6th where our men had been fighting them two days. We got there early on the 6th and by 10 oclock we was fighting them but they don ran away we did not loose but a few men there was not a man hurt in my Co. on the 9th we had no other battle fight I don't think there was any person hurt in my regt tho there was continued fighting going on on some part of the line I think it was two days the hardest fighting that I ever experienced in my life tho my regt was not so titley engaged as a great many of the other troops we left there on the 9th and and marched angling down the river a southeast corse a bout 18 miles to Spotsylvania CH where we met the enemy a gan and on the 12th we was cald on to fight a gan and I think it was a little the Rufest place that I ever was in tho our regt was comparatively small we had two men wounded in my co I escaped but it was narrowly and I fealt very thankful to god for protecting me in so many tarable fights we are now about 60 miles southeast of orange CH on the north Anna River about 29 miles from Richmond we got hear on the 23 of this month on the 24th we had to fight a gan but we run them veary easy and lost but one or two men wounded there is a heavy fire of canon going on at this time...'' Each letter runs 2-4pp. on single sheets of card-style stationery. Toning, occasional minor separation to folds and a few light stains, else near fine.
Excellent Confederate Letter Lot -- Gettysburg, Spotsylvania & Second Fredericksburg -- ''...the brave man turnd and went back in to the fight and was kild...he was shot through the head...''
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