October 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, October 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2014
Lot of 3 Civil War letters by Lt. Selwyn E. Bickford of the 6th Massachusetts Infantry, Co. G, accompanied by his CDV portrait photo. All letters were sent from Suffolk, Virginia and addressed to his friend Anderson. Bickford writes in a letter dated 20 December 1862, in part, ''...it was my first experience under fire...no sooner did the small force of cavalry...come in sight than they opened fire upon it from their sharpshooters who were posted in rifle pits on the high bank on their side of the river. They killed a sergeant of cavalry and wounded a private - one here was also killed. The trees about us prevented our seeing the performance but we could hear the shots...When you know they are your own guns it sounds good to hear them rip. It was about an hour before we were ordered to follow...and soon came upon the scene of action. The first thing I saw was the dead horse just by our path, and then the Indiana boys, who were deployed as skirmishers, behind the trees and along by a rail fence, looking for a good shot. Looking across the river I could not see anything, the trees were so dense...Occasionally a rifle bullet would hum by my head...Lieutenant Barr was killed. I saw him as he went by with his company, he looked toward me as he passed and nodded; it seemed not more than five minutes before he was brought along a corpse, it shocked me more than any thing else that happened that day. It seems that the force that bothered us were only about forty men, but it was because they were so strongly posted that it took us so long to clean them out. Our shells exploded harmlessly over their heads, protected as they were under their shelter of logs. It took us about two hours to get the pontoons down, when two companies of the Indiana Regiment went over, and charged on the rifle pits, and driving the rebels out captured thirteen of them and killed two. The yell they gave when they got in among them, was demoniacal, it might have been heard a mile, they returned over the river with the prisoners and some booty, one soldier got a fiddle, and another a large piece of paper with some fashion plates upon it, a queer trophy I thought. The men we took belonged to a Georgia regiment, and were very well clad, they fought desperately, they said that they knew we were coming and that reinforcement were very near. It was after the troops had got back from across the river, and while we were waiting to see 'what would turn up', that we got so severely shelled. The first we knew, bang went a gun from a rebel battery and a shell exploded over our heads. They came thick and fast, and we were ordered to lie down flat on our faces. The pieces flew thick about us, both shell and solid shot, they had got our range perfectly. One piece came within a yard of me...While we were lying there, a man was brought along from our left, who had lost his leg by a shell, it struck on the inside of the thigh and made an awful sound. Our battery was not silent all this time, but was worked in good style, a shell came, and hit one of the horses in the leg, the men promptly unharnessed him, led him a little way on one side, and shot him in the head, and a fresh horse was put in. We finally silenced their batteries...'' In a letter dated 2 February 1863 he writes, ''...we came upon the rebel pickets...soon we heard a volley in front, and our ranks were speedily opened and the artillery hurried to the front...our guns opened upon the enemy and they replied...The cannonade in a very few moments became furious and the shells tore through the trees on both sides of the road, our position was peculiarly exposed as the 'rebs' knowing that we must be there, would use all their efforts to shell it...conscripts...as they did not volunteer and had never been out before they were frightened, and crowded us back stooping and crouching at every shot that came, and falling back into our ranks bothered us exceedingly. The movement was to get the 13th Indiana and the 6th Mass up in front to support the batteries...we...went into the woods beside the road and laid down...They were loading and firing as fast as possible. We laid down on our faces on the cold ground...In front on both sides the batteries were firing, twelve guns on our side, and fifteen on the rebel. They had got our range, and they rained round shot, shell grape & canister upon us in terrible profusion. Before we had been there five minutes a shell burst over us, killing a Lieutenant and two men and taking off the leg of one and the arm of another...I heard it sound 'thug' as it struck and then heard the poor men groan...another struck behind me, and wounded several more. The tempest was awful and we could not do a thing. Branches of trees were cut off over our heads and fell on us, the dirt flew and covered us, and the groaning of the sufferers all around added it horrors to the scene, besides this, save the light from the flashes of the guns it was so dark that I could not distinguish a man two feet off. Once a shell struck a caisson and that exploding lit up the whole scene with its awful glare. For three hours we lay and took that storm; the day then began to break and we could distinguish objects better. The fire began to slacken, and we were ordered out into the road, and falling back a few yards formed into line of battle on the side of the road. Here on every side was the sight we have so often read about. Wounded and dead men and horses all lying alike uncared for. Blankets canteens and Haversacks strewed all around, and the profusion of cannon shot and shell lying about, showed what had done the work. I saw sights too sickening to relate...twenty-six killed and seventy-six wounded...The more that I see of the horrors of war, the less taste I have for it...I am not one who ever shuddered at the sight of blood or turned pale at seeing men die, but the wholesale butchering and mangling of Gods best handiwork that is spread before you in the battlefield is fearful...'' In the third letter, dated 24 April, 1863 Bickford writes, ''...the advance force of the rebel army, under Gen. Longstreet came upon us driving in our pickets on the three main roads leading into the town...skirmishing between our pickets is constant...we were in the rifle pit night and day, and not a man could get away for anything...They have now been around us nearly a fortnight and have gained no advantage over us but have been repulsed at all points...the fighting has been constant and we have captured five pieces of artillery and taken one hundred and thirty prisoners...all the houses outside the town have been burned...have eaten nothing but ham and potatoes for a month, and that is not variety enough for a man who has dined at Youngs [likely the famed Young's Hotel in Boston]...'' Letters are accompanied by a CDV portrait photo of Bickford in uniform signed on verso with his regiment information. CDV bears photographer's backstamp of Warren & Lowell. Letters are each written on ruled card-style stationery, ranging from 4pp. to 8pp. in length. Each measures 8'' x 12.5''. Chip to center fold of one sheet barely affecting text and some evidence of adhesive along fold line, else near fine. CDV photo measures 2.5'' x 4.25''. Pencil notation to verso, else near fine.
Lot of 3 Letters & CDV From the Civil War -- Battle of Deserted House: ''...Wounded and dead men and horses all lying alike uncared for...I saw sights too sickening to relate...''
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