October 2013 Auction Ends Tuesday, October 29th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/29/2013
Five Civil War letter lot from Corp. William H. Clayton of the 80th Illinois Infantry, Co. B. Clayton's letters include substantial battle content and also track the maneuvers of his regiment; Clayton's first letter, dated 22 March 1863 from Murfreesboro, Tennessee likely documents the Battle of Vaught's Hill: "...We started out in a run; for half a mile the Rebs moved paralleled with us at a distance of about 400 yards from us. All this time a column of them were passing through town & round over left. The remainder of our forces were moving back to the hill & getting a position. We got to the timber on the hill before the Rebs did formed a line in the edge of the timber & then gave them our volley broke their line routed them completely killing ten & wounding about 30…" He writes next on 1 July 1864 from a camp near Marietta, Georgia, in part, "…To give you an idea of the amount of ammunition used I'll tell you how much our Reg't & the 84 Ill used the 19th and 20th of June. During the two days our Div. drove the rebel centre 4 mis. Past the right and left and held our position. The 84 used 34,000 rounds of cartridges…" Next he writes on 17 September 1864 about the battles at Jonesboro and Lovejoy Station, in part, "...The night of the 2 of Aug. Gen. Sherman commenced what they boys call his 'big raid'. Our Corps occupied the extreme left of the Army and lay east of the City. Just after dark we fell back from the works and marched around to the north of the City. At the same time the 20th A.C. fell back into the strongworks around the RR bridge across the Chattahoocha River. All of our siege guns were placed in these works. The next morning the whole Army commenced moving to the right. August 29th we cross and destroyed the Montgomery RR. 30th reached the Macon RR and the 31st marched toward Jonesboro burning every tie and bending every ral as we came to them. Quite an engagement took place that evening. The rebel loss was very heavy considering the time the fight lasted. Sept. 1 we occupied Jonesboro and drove the Rebs into their fortifications near Lovejoy station and four miles south of Jonesboro. There also there was hot work our Regt lost two killed and four wounded but none of them were from Madison Co. Heavy skirmishing was kept up until we left which occurred 8p.m. of the 4th. We arrived in Atlanta about noon of the 8th…" The last letter is datelined 19 January 1865 from Huntsville, Alabama. Clayton signs "Wm H. Clayton" to all the letters and additionally writes his regiment on one. Letters include envelopes. Highly legible group of letters, in very good condition.
Archive of Civil War Letters by Corp. William H. Clayton of the 80th Illinois Infantry -- ''...routed them completely killing ten & wounding about 30...''
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