March 2012 Auction Ends Wednesday, March 28th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/28/2012
An unknown Confederate soldier writes a letter from Knoxville, dated 12 May 1863. This compassionate soldier tells of the suffering of Union soldiers, in part, ''On this beautiful Sabbath...We are still in the same camp about 1 1/2 mile from Knoxville. Our duty is pretty hard now. The Reg has to fronish a provost guard for the city. Also, 1 Company for picqnet [picket?] duty every day. I suppose you have heard of the 1300 prisoners that Gen. Forest took in Georgia. I saw them yesterday, they were take off of the carrs yesterday to wait for transportation and to get some rations. They were from Ohio, Indiana, Illinoise...some of the Yankees...born in VA and some in Tennessee and & other southern states. And a great many of them fighting against their relatives & best friends. They had been badly treated...they were deprived of almost everything that they had. Their blankets, guns, blankets, canteens, haversash & all the watches that they had not concealed & overcoats that they did not have on, were taken from them. The citizens said, as citizens very often do who do not have to fight, abused them shamefully...but they were much pleased at the treatment of our soldiers toward them and the VA soldiers they said had treated them better from any others and they went so far as to take the no. of our Reg and the names of the field officers and some of them said if they ever met us and knew the Reg, they would not fire a gun upon any consideration. Poor fellows, I was sorry for them. They were very hungry had had nothing for nearly 2 days, they would beg us for bread. We baked all of the surplus that we had of corn meal & gave it to them by all of us dividing we furnished them prety well...'' Single page of unfinished letter has one area of paper loss, dampstaining and tears. Fair condition.
Confederate Soldier Who Helped His Enemy -- ''...Yankees...born in VA...a great many of them fighting against their relatives & best friends. They had been badly treated..."
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