March 2012 Auction Ends Wednesday, March 28th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/28/2012
Civil War letter from Erastus Winters of the 50th Ohio Infantry, Company K, captured and then wounded in the Sultana disaster. Written in pencil and dated 25 July 1864, Winters writes during the Siege of Atlanta: ''...Many, very many of my fellow beings have gone to try the realities of another and unseen world...we had to skirmish with the rebel's cavalry all the time, they tried mighty hard to keep us back,the next morning at daylight we advanced and occupied their works. The rebels then massed all their force in front of the 15, 16 and 17th Corps and charged them and drove them back and for a while the fortunes of the day went against us,they flanked our forces and turned our left as far back as Decatur...finally our forces rallied and drove them back having an open field fight with them, their loss is said to be 8,000 ours 5,000...we wounded and captured Hardee and killed Cheatham and we lost McPherson...we have now moved up to about three-quarters of a mile from their works, they are strongly fortifying right close around the city...one shell struck Thomas Sherman, killed him and struck Henry Hall and cut his leg off below the knee...'' Winters mustered into Company K on 24 August 1862 and mustered out as a Corporal on 20 May 1865. He was taken prisoner in November 1864 at the Battle of Franklin, but exchanged the following spring. On his way home he was picked up at Vicksburg by the steamer Sultana, which sank when its boiler exploded on 27 April 1865. About 1,700 of the overloaded ship, 2,400 passengers died in what remains the worst maritime disaster in U.S. history. Winters suffered burns and spent weeks in a Memphis hospital, but survived. 2pp. letter shows minor wear and tears not affecting readability. Good condition.
50th Ohio Infantry Letter 1864 -- Siege of Atlanta -- ''...they are strongly fortifying around the city...one shell struck Thomas Sherman, killed him and struck Henry Hall...cut his leg off below
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