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This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
24 letter lot by Sergeant Nathan Cory of the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry, Co. C, written to his brother-in-law. Cory is a colorful chronicler of the war, writing about skirmishes and various aspects of his life as a soldier. Several letters detail the Siege of Little Washington, where Cory's regiment was tasked with relieving federal forces via river at first and then by land.
Letter dated 11 April 1863 reads in part, ''...We started with 3 days rashens for Little Washington old Gen Foster is at Little Washington with some small force. I don't no how many but he is surounded. We was sent for reinforcements but the rebels had the river blockaded and we could not get up the river, so we came back to Newbern and started a cross the country. We got back here of the boat on the evening of the 7 and got orders that night at 9 o'clock for to report at Fosters Warf at 12 o'clock...We crosed the Newce River at 12 o'clock. We started for Little Washington by land. We went Swift Crick, that is 20 miles but when we came there the bridge was burnt and we could not cross. We turned and went down the river 10 miles till an nother bridge and it was all swamps. There was only one road to get in. The rebels was a cross and had the bridge tore up. They was in there forts and we could not get at them. We drove in there pickets. We killed and wounded a bout 25 of them before they could get a cross. General Wesselr [Wessells] says it was not managed right. He says he will go him self and we will have them out of that but I don't wan to have to go for we will have hard fighting. They have there forts acros the river and there is only one place we can plant our artillery that we can reach them and they have range of that place and they can dismount all the canonens that we can plant...'' Cory then lists the officers of his company, ''...David Freeman ordly sergt. W.C. Ecklen 2nd Sergt. J. Coon 3rd Sergt. N. Cory 4th Sergt. G.H. Fonner 5th Sergt. Corporals 1st P. Clark 2nd P. Sprinker. 3rd J. Birkback. 4 J. Tewigley. 5 A Mcdonald 6th P Caterson. 7th J. Cruler 8th J. Pieraly. Now you know all the names of all the oficers from Capt to 8th Corporal. Sargents get 11 dollars a month...''
He follows-up on the Siege in his letter dated 27 April, ''...I must let you know we was martched across to little Washington and we had a very hard martch for we could just keep close enough to the rebels to fight there rear guard when they heard that we was coming and Foster and Wesel was in comand. They left...I am a thinking the draft will fetch some of them fat old fellows out that is a fraid of there hides. You wanted to know what I think of the war and the niger. I don't like ther of them a damd bit but I think will be over in six months, but not sooner...''
In several other letters by Cory he comments on wanting ''to kill some secesh before I go home'' and ''I don't feel like going home till the war is over and I kill Jef or some other sesash'', although these sentiments generally end after he fought at Fair Oaks where the 101st lost 74 in killed and wounded. In fact, he reflects on the battle a year later in his letter dated 31 May 1863, ''...I have just came off guard and my mind is graitly on this day one year a go, it was the Battle of Fairoaks was faught...''
Cory writes about skirmishes throughout, such as his letter dated 25 September 1862, ''...We started on Monday to hunt up the rebs. We found them on Tuesday a bout 10 o'clock. We had a small scrimage. We drove in there pickets and they run over the river and drawed there bridge and opened there bateris on us. We only had two small pices of artillery and we could not reach them. We only wanted to find there picket line and find out there force...We are expecting for to see the gray coats coming in here some of these days as thick as bees, but they will get a warm reseption...'' On 15 October 1862 he writes, ''...one of our companys of cavalry was on a scout threw the country yesterday and they was fired in by a bout 3 hundred rebbels. It a bout finished the company of cavalry...''
On 19 November 1862 he writes, ''...we had another pitch on to Black Water. We run them damd rebells out of there fortifying and shelled them for three miles back, but as soon as we came away they would come back. I expect they have big forts back a peace that they would like to get us in to if they could get us to follow them...'' and on 27 January 1863, ''...the rebels are thretning an at tact here but we are ready for them eny time for I have a good desire to kill all of them...Bill Bowery is here steping around with his captains stripes on and he would like to make peple believe that he is a capain but he will have to walk strait or he will get the sopts took of him one of these days for it is not military law for sitzens to wair the uniforms of soldiers. Well Peter, I must tell you Frasure is in the guard house for deserting being as he is young, I sopose he will be get a disonorble discharge...''
He writes of a Rebel attack on 8 February 1863, ''...the rebels make a dash on our pickets a fiew nights ago and got moast of one company took prisoner. They only killed 3 of our men and wounded 6...'' In other letters Cory reflects on camp life. He writes on 15 June 1862, ''...I am siting before my little tent on my knapsack with my back against a big pine tree in my bair feet. My pants roled to my knees, coler open, a wad of tobaco in my cheek as big as hors tird, pipe and stamp by side. I am as black as a Viriginia niger syou will no a bout how I look. I am just after eating a quart of been soop and a pound of old tiger besides a half dosen crackers and a quart of coffee and best of all a bout too thirds of a tin full of old quinine whiskey...'' On 30 July 1862 he writes, ''...the wether is hot anuf to rost the ballist of a brass monkey...'' and on 16 September 1863, ''...I don't care the war lasts for 10 years. I can stand it and fight them every day till I got killed or wounded. We can lick them and we are bound to lick them. Let eny other nation recognizes the confederacy and then some of them old Lagerbeer suckers will have to sholder there muskets and come down to dixeys land and martch over the sunny south. I want to see some of them old Coperheads have to eat as many wormy crackers and as mutch old roten pork as I have eat and be as glad to get it as I have bene, but damd if I would ask beter now. I must tell you we got two jigers a day and some times I can make the rifles of all I can drink, but you must not think me drunk or eny thing to night for I haven't had but one drink since I comenced this letter...'' Letters are in very good condition, many with their original covers. With near complete transcriptions.
Letter Lot of Sergeant in 101st Pennsylvania Infantry on Siege of Little Washington -- ''...We killed and wounded a bout 25 of them before they could get a cross...''
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