1865 Civil War Letter GUARDING TRAIN After Collapse of Richmond (See Research)

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1865 Civil War Letter GUARDING TRAIN After Collapse of Richmond (See Research):
$40.99

Civil War Letter

The letter was written on8 April 1865 after the collapse of Petersburg and the fall of Richmond.

The author claims to be with his regiment guarding a train — possibly the one captured by Union forces carrying supplies to the Rebels in the vicinity of Appomattox. The signature appears to read Alen Bangmen but there is no Union soldier appearing under that name in the Union soldiers database. There are a couple of possibilities that I might conjecture as the author.

These are German-born Henry Bangemann of Menomee, Wisconsin who enlisted in Co. F,38th Wisconsin Infantry although I can find no indication in on-line records that he ever bore the name Alen (or Allan) as his first or middle name. Another possibility is Henry Allen Bingamin of Co. B, 50th Pennsylvania Infantry. Both soldiers were serving with their companies at the time of this letter and both regiments were involved in the final assaults on the Petersburg defenses on 2 April 1865.

There is also a possibility that the name was Alen B. Angmen but I think this is less likely.

The letter was written on the reverse side of a printed patriotic poem titled, “Tell Mother, I die happy.”

Perhaps someone with more knowledge of these regiments can lend an opinion. A nice letter nonetheless with good content, and written on the lovely patriotic poem sheet.

TRANSCRIPTION

April 8th 1865

My dear mother,

I thought that I would write a few lines to let you know that I am well and yet alive. I was in the fight April the 1st and it was hard fighting, I tell [you] and I come out at straight and all of the rest of the boys — only Jim — and I expect he is dead for we hain’t heard anything of him since the fight and there was a man in one of the companies said that he had his head shot off for they seen him.

We are chasing the rebels yet. We have been through Petersburg and it is quite a place. I can’t write only a few lines now for we don’t know when we shall start on. We are a guarding a train and when the train starts, we shall go too and I don’t think we shall have any more fighting.

I must draw to a close for this time. This from your son, — Allen Bangemen

TERMS

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