January 2015 Auction Ends Thursday, January 29th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/29/2015
Civil War letter by Aaron Crouch, written to his brother Daniel Crouch of Mohawk NY. Regiment is unidentified, though clues exist in envelope and letter, datelined Suffolk, VA, 2 May 1862. Crouch writes an intriguing letter about a bloody skirmish lead by a drunken officer: ''...are now camped about half a mile from the Nansamond River...the Rebs have got Rebel pits about half a mile from the river...they shoot at every man they see and sometimes they make a fellow dodge pretty lively. Yesterday our general...ordered the batteries to open on the Rebel pits. Pretty soon we saw 3 or 4 regiments come from the woods to the Rebel pits then our batteries played on them with great affect, but still they came on and got into the rifle pits. They must have stood 3 or 4 abreast and the slaughter must have been great for our shells burst over the pits and in the pits...they threw them shells just about where they want to. There was about 300 of the 99th NY Regiment went over, but they was led by a drunken officer and did not accomplish much although the brave fellows charged on them and went up to the pit and there was ordered to halt and then retreat. The consequence was that 50 of them was shot down. So much for drunken officers. Our boys say the Rebs hoisted a black flag, but I did not see it. They did shoot at our wounded men laying on the ground...Aaron Crouch''. 4pp. letter with cover is very good.
Civil War Soldier Letter -- ''...the slaughter must have been great...50 of them was shot down. So much for drunken officers...They did shoot at our wounded men laying on the ground...''
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