CIVIL WAR GENERAL COLONEL 125th OHIO INFANTRY OPDYKE SIGNED SOLDIER LETTER COVER

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CIVIL WAR GENERAL COLONEL 125th OHIO INFANTRY OPDYKE SIGNED SOLDIER LETTER COVER:
$263.99

EMERSON OPDYKE

(1830 – 1884)

CIVILWAR FULL UNION BRIGADIER GENERAL

Opdyke’s regiment earnedfame in the defense of Horseshoe Ridge at the Battle ofChickamauga. In command of a demi-brigade, Opdycke\'s men were someof the first to reach the summit of MissionaryRidge during the Battles forChattanooga. During General Sherman’s ‘March to the Sea,’ Opdykefought throughout the Atlanta Campaign with the Army of theCumberland and was badly wounded at the Battle of Resaca, but he recoveredsufficiently to lead an assault in the Battle ofKennesaw Mountain!

HERE’S A CIVIL WAR DATE FREE FRANK SOLDIERS LETTER COVER SIGNED byOPDYKE as COLONEL! The cover bears a Tennessee circular date stamp postmark dated1864 and Due 3 postal handstamp. The cover is addressed to “Mrs. Mary A. Stone,Defiance County, Ohio, in haste”

The cover measures 5” x3” and is in very good condition, with a slight rough opening at the leftmargin, when opened. It is a complete cover with backflap, and no lettercontents.

ARARE Addition to your ‘Generals in Blue’ Autograph, Manuscript, Ephemera & CivilWar Postal History Collection!

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Emerson Opdycke (January 7, 1830 –April 25, 1884) was a Union brigadier general during the American Civil War.

Early years

Opdycke was born on a farm in Hubbard, Ohio, to a military family. Hisfather fought in the War of 1812 and hisgrandfather was a captainin New Jersey militia in the AmericanRevolution. His older brother Henry served in the Kansas cavalry during the Civil War.Opdycke was educated in the Hubbard schools. He engaged in various businesspursuits in Ohio and California.

CivilWar

Opdycke enlisted immediately following the First Battleof Bull Run and was commissioned a first lieutenantin the 41st Ohio Infantryon August 26, 1861. As a captain, he fought in the Battle of Shiloh. He resigned in September1862 to help recruit the 125th OhioInfantry, in which he became the lieutenant colonel on October 1, 1862, and the colonelon January 14, 1863. His regiment earned fame in the defense of Horseshoe Ridgeat the Battle ofChickamauga. In command of a demi-brigade, Opdycke\'s men were someof the first to reach the summit of MissionaryRidge during the Battles forChattanooga. He fought throughout the Atlanta Campaign with the Army of theCumberland and was badly wounded at the Battle of Resaca, but he recoveredsufficiently to lead an assault in the Battle ofKennesaw Mountain.

During the Franklin-NashvilleCampaign, Opdycke distinguished himself at the Battle ofFranklin. As the Confederatetroops under Lt. Gen.John Bell Hood approached, his divisioncommander, Brig. Gen. George D. Wagner,ordered Opdycke and the other two brigade commanders to take up hasty defensivepositions in front of the Union fortified line. Opdycke challenged this order,argued with Wagner, and marched his men into a reserve position behind thefortifications. When the Confederate assault broke the Union line near theColumbia Pike, Opdycke quickly redeployed his men into line of battle,straddling the road, and they were confronted by masses of fleeing Unionsoldiers, pursued by Confederates. Opdycke ordered his brigade forward to theworks. At the same time, his corps commander, Maj. Gen. David S. Stanley, arrived on the scene. Helater wrote, \"I saw Opdycke near the center of his line urging his menforward. I gave the Colonel no orders as I saw him engaged in doing the verything to save us, to get possession of our line again.\" The counterattackturned the tide and the Union Army achieved an important victory.

Opdycke was honored for his service at Franklin with a brevet appointmentto major general of volunteers. He was promoted to a full brigadier general onJuly 26, 1865.

Postbellumlife

Opdycke resigned from the regular armyin 1866 and moved to New York City,where he engaged in the dry goods business. He wrote several articles on thewar, and was active in veterans affairs. He died in New York at the age of 54of an accidental gunshot to the abdomen, apparently while he was cleaning theweapon.

He is buried in Oakwood Cemetery in Warren, Ohio.

I am a proud member ofthe Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC), The Ephemera Society ofAmerica, the Manuscript Society and the American Political Items Collectors(APIC) (member name: John Lissandrello). I subscribe to each organizations\'code of ethics and authenticity is guaranteed. ~Providing quality service andhistorical memorabilia online for over ten years.~WE ONLY SELL GENUINE ITEMS, i.e., NO REPRODUCTIONS, FAKES OR COPIES!