Civil War Letter Lot Battle Winchester VA Gen McClellan Sharpsburg Waynesburg PA

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Civil War Letter Lot Battle Winchester VA Gen McClellan Sharpsburg Waynesburg PA:
$113.05

Great lot of several original Civil War letters, written by a soldier from Waynesburg, Greene County PAPennsylvania named John I. Downey. I did find a John I. Downey from Waynesburg who was in Co H., 123rd Pennsylvania Volunteers who was killed March 17, 1863. Son of Robinson West Downey. There are three envelopes with these, but only one has a clear postmark that you can maybe match up the date. They are postmarked Washington DC/ Washington City.

1. GREAT Civil War Stationary, depicting \"Desperate Bayonet Charge at Battle of Winchester, March 23, led by Gen Tyler.\" Letter is dated Oct 27, 1862, Camp Near Sharpsburg MD (Antietam)- this is about a month after that horrific battle. He writes to his sister, saying he and some others he names are OK. Not sure if he was in the battle or not however.

2. Another GREAT stationary featuring Maj. Gen George McClellan. Camp near Fredericksburg VA, Nov 24, 1862. This was just a few weeks before the major battle there. He writes to his father, Says that he is getting along with the Captain and someone else, as he knows them both very well. He describes the country theyre in as being generally level and covered with a dense pine woods- the soil is gravely and sandy, and there are a great many swamps and marshes. There are very few oak trees or anything other than pine. The people there are the poorest clad (dressed?) and look worse than any poor white man you ever saw. They live on corn and everyone has some slaves. They have very poor houses and barns and all talk just like Negroes and all Sesech (Seccessionists) and don\'t like our Army. Tells everyone he is well.

3. Plain paper- Camp near Fredericksburg Jan 25, 1863. Hes never seen the ground so bad in his life- the Wagons were up to the hub and the artillery could not move. Something about they got back to their old camp and he was glad of it because I believe we would have got badly whipped. I was down to the 8th Regiment the other day and saw all the boys (friends of his) and theyre all well. Asks his dad to send some kind of magazine and postage stamps which he desperately needs.

4. Camp near Fredericksburg, January 17, 1862 (I think he may mean 1863). We have got marching orders but doesnt know where theyre going- Hopes he doesnt have to go into a fight. Talks about some friends and how he is doing etc.

Great lot of original Civil War Letters over 150 years old! A little research on this soldier and you can probably pinpoint him and find out exactly what battles he was in etc. Sad that one of these letters was written less than two months before he died at age 20 or 21.

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