[ Autographs ] CIVIL WAR CORRESPONDENCE WITH GETTYSBURG CONTENT A fine Union soldier's correspondence, comprising 32 letters, many multi-paged and on patriotic stationery, accompanied by numerous supporting documents, written by Edwin C. Mullan of the 5th Pa. Reserves, also known as the 34th Pa. Inf., from May of 1861 until mid-1864 when Mullan was wounded at the Wilderness. Mullan saw a considerable amount of combat, including the Seven Days, Antietam, Fredericksburg (where he was captured and then exchanged), and Gettysburg. In several engagements, his unit fought alongside the "Bucktails", with whom they apparently had a most cordial relationship Samplings of the correspondence follow, in part: "Dec. 27th, 1861... skirmish that took place between the 6th, 9th, and the Bucktails with the secesh. The dead and wounded lay strewn around the ground, some with their heads blown off and others shot in the head and heart...It was horrible...Aug. 1, 1862...at the fight on Malvern Hill...an awful day of slaughter...whole regiments were cut down. I saw...over three thousand of our men and rebs wounded and dying...Aug. 18, 1862...at Malvern...I had a good chance to see the field of battle. MacGruder was reported by the Rebs as drunk...led his men toward our batteries with a drunken fury...in the rear...the Monitor and the other gunboats..the noise of the shells could be heard for miles, and they alone spread panic among the ranks of the rebels...Sharpsburg (Antietam), Sep. 31, 1862...I have had two or three hard spats since I have been in Maryland...Our last battle was never equaled in America...one mile from camp lies nearly one whole brigade of rebs...stone dead and all in a line of battle as natural as through they were only lying on their faces...in another place a regt. charged on our men and nearly three hundred fell dead when our men fired....on Middleton Heights... our General Seymour says `Boys we want this hill...up that steep and rocky mountain in one long line of battle went our men, our Col. and our Major cheering us...the enemy artillery pouring a steady hail storm of ball and shell...No one falters...we pour the Buck and Ball in their scattered ranks while the Buck Tails with their rifles pick off the few that remain...we have the hill but some only live...Feb 4,1863, [after being taken prisoner at Fredericksburg, describing the battle and his capture]: "...the rebs were then on our flank and I sawthat it was impossible for me to get away...a charge was then made on us by the rebs...I got a Buck Tail rifle and fired until a rebel with charged bayonet shouted ƒThrow down that rifle you Yankee son ----' I was then taken to their lines by three rebs of the 12th N.C....two of the three that took me were either killed or wounded...I will here mark out our position [he then draws a crude map of his portion of thebattle line]...two charges by us and one by the rebels, both equally unsuccessful...at Libby Prison placed in a room 160 x 80, 224 men in the room...nothing but famine, filth, and sickness...Feb. 6...I got a grape shot in my knapsack at Fredericksburg...covered by dust from a shell directly in front of our company but it did not burst or few of us would be left....at Antietam the fellow at my left was struck by a piece of shell and killed...July 7, 1863...(Gettysburg) We have just fought the battle of Gettysburg...we have burned their pontoons and they are in a fix...the 1st Brigade made two charges and drove the rebels when they had one division on the retreat, they have covered themselves with honor. George Tracy was taken prisoner at Gettysburg but was released, his regiment is near us...the 141 are all cut off.. Wellington Jeff...he is shot in the leg by a grape shot. we whipped the Rebels badly and are following them up. We are picking up their stragglers by the hundreds. They leave their prisoners in our lines. Our cavalry are after their wagon train...July 21...spent my Fourth ofJuly looking over a stone wall on a hill near Gettysburg, expecting the rebels any minute and wet to the skin...we were shelled but they did no damage worth mentioning. We have been marching from ten to twenty five miles per day...lost three days mail captured by the rebels...". Edward was then wounded at the Wilderness. Included in thelot are four telegrams informing Mullin's relatives of his wounding, worsening condition, and eventual death, a long letter from a preacherwho ministered to him in the hospital, a copy of the New York Herald listing him as a battle casualty, and a photocopy of his obituary froma local newspaper. An unusually complete grouping, with two rare Gettysburg content letters, completely transcribed, very good.