Documents
ID'ed Confederate Soldier's 2-Page Letter Home (Neill McDonald, Co. H, 26th North Carolina)
Describing the "Accidental" Death of a "Negro" in Camp, the Lack of Whiskey and Brandy,
and Other Camp-Life Detail
From "Orange Court House VA Friday August 4th 1863"
This is a wonderful original ID'ed Confederate soldier's letter home to his sister, Christian, written from their camp at Orange Courthouse, Virginia, just a month after the horrific fighting at Gettysburg. This is a fascinating letter, and in excellent and readable condition and script. Let me transcribe it all:
"Christian
Dear Sister I rec'd your letter in due time it gave me much joy to learn that you were all well I have been in very good health The boys are in tolerable good health Daniel Ferguson has been in bad health, he expects to start home on furlough in a few days It is a bad place here for a person to get sick at for it is almost impossible either to get to a hospital or to go home. A negro was accidentally killed here a few days ago: the man was aiming at the negro, not knowing the gun was loaded, when the gun went off and the ball went through the negro's neck.
We have preaching every night: this place is good for one thing: and that is that there is hardly any whiskey or brandy to be found here A drunk person is but very seldom seen about here. We get plenty to eat of flour mean bacon + beef.
No fighting has been going on lately. I have no news of importance to write you at this time. Write soon and let me know all that is going in the neigh-ber-hood.
Your Affectionate Brother,
Neill McDonald
Direct to Co. H 26th NC Inf
Pettigrews Brigade
Heths Division"
First thing's first: I procured this letter from Larry Hicklen, and you can bet that both of us agree that the the "accidental" shooting was NO ACCIDENT. Anyone who is a Civil War reenactor, or simply knows anything about Civil War muskets, understands that you darn-well DO KNOW when your musket is loaded! When you cock the hammer on your piece, and see a percussion cap sitting on it, you know full-well that there won't be a percussion cap on their unless there's a ball in the barrel! Also, soldier's did not have their weapons loaded in camp at all, unless doing picket duty, and would immediately unload them after duty, because the power in the barrel would get moisture, and become "gunked" in the barrel, causing it not to fire at all and would be a costly mistake to go into battle with an inoperable musket. That's why they had musket worm's to worm loaded weapons! (And that's why you find so many wormed bullets in camps.) There is simply no way this was an "accident." Let's be realistic: we all know what feelings were like between the races back then, and if the soldier was offended or affronted somehow, or if something "worse" happened to cause any ire or anger, the result was often some kind of "accidental" death.
At any rate, this is an excellent ID'ed letter, in great condition and readability, and describing basic camp life, and unfortunately, a part of mid-19th Century life feelings as well.
$295 SOLD
Original Saturday Evening Post of Philadelphia, May 16, 1863. The paper is complete, and in good shape. Newspapers of that time are absolutely fascinating--the goods and services, prices, news-reporting, language usage and style, political satire, you name it--they are indeed a small time capsule of that period, all found within a few pages. Articles about the progress of the war, the specific armies, battles and campaign updates, battle songs, poems, and much more in this paper. It is 8 pages long. Specifically mentioned in this edition is the Battle of Port Gibson, Mississippi (though the battle occurred on on May 1st, it wasn't until this time on the 16th that news reached back east--this paper is dated May 16--the day the Battle of Champion Hill occurred, but news wouldn't reach back east until late May.)
$30
Original Saturday Evening Post of Philadelphia, March 21, 1863. The paper is complete, and in good shape. Newspapers of that time are absolutely fascinating--the goods and services, prices, news-reporting, language usage and style, political satire, you name it--they are indeed a small time capsule of that period, all found within a few pages. Articles about the progress of the war, the specific armies, battles and campaign updates, battle songs, poems, and much more in this paper. It is 8 pages long. Specific articles about the war are regarding a letter from Admiral Porter about recent warfare on the Mississippi, and the news of "12,000 Rebels Advancing on Fort Donelson."
$30
