CIVIL WAR LETTER - 11th RHODE ISLAND INFANTRY - EDWIN PERRY

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CIVIL WAR LETTER - 11th RHODE ISLAND INFANTRY - EDWIN PERRY:
$64.00

A 2-page pencil letter from Edwin Perry, Company C, 11th Rhode Island Infantry

\"Bivouac of the 11th R.I.V. Regt near the deserted farm Virginia May 18, 1863. Dear brother....Desolation now marks our pathway. Every house where there is no inmates and those who will not take the oath of allegiance are sent into the rebel lines and their houses are burnt.

Afternoon. This morning Co. B, E, & C were ordered forward five miles as pickets while a fatigue party cut down or partly cut down trees to obstruct the progress of artillery and troops. I have foraged a pig weighing about eighty pounds since I have been here. We dressed him up and have had one good meal off of him. When we got the meat ready we had nothing to fry it in so someone went over to a house and tried to buy a pan but the man would not sell so we came down on him twofold and took two large dripping pans large enough to fry meat for twenty men. I write these few lines with a cartridge box for my desk and the ground for my seat. You will probably not hear from me again under a week as I cannot get any envelopes. Edwin Perry\"

It appears that Edwin had no writing paper and wrote this letter on the blank backs of some letters from his brother Orin

The pencil writing is light and there is some light soiling but I was able to make it all out with patience

Rhode Island soldier letters are scarce

Edwin Perry died in 1910 at Edgewood, Rhode Island