812. BATTLE OF CEDAR MOUNTAIN A good war-date Union soldier's letter, in ink by Sgt. William H. Shelton, Battery L, 1st New York Light Artillery, 8pp. 8vo, Culpepper CH, VA, Aug. 17, 1862 to his cousin concerning their participation in the battle of Cedar Mountain. In part: "...I know little more of poor George's illness than that 'he died.' You have...received Lieut. [George] Breck's letter to Mrs. A. noting what...we could gather from the man who remained with our sick at Front Royal...it had not been my pleasure to see him since the latter part of June. Until then...he had been with the Asst. Adjt Gen. Capt Van Doren upon the same hill with the battery...I often found it pleasant to spend the evening at his tent and...met him during the day...It is a sad fate to sicken and die among strangers.. instantly all was bustle for the march which succeeded the late battle of Cedar Mountain...all the afternoon we lay in reserve within sight of the glitter of the bayonets and the smoke of the fierce contest. The roar of artillery and the rattle of musketry and the continual passing of wounded men to the rear gave...enough of reality to the affair. At dark the battery was ordered upon a hill...to cover the withdrawal of our forces and here it was that we were shelled...shells are always terrible but at night they are grand as well, singing fiercely in the still night air and making their...pathway with a track of fire...a whole volley of those unwelcome messengers came whistling over our heads, in perfect range but...a safe distance above us. We changed position...the shelling ceased. Sunday morn...cannonading followed by some practice from sharp shooters took place but gradually subsided into quiet...the wounded must have suffered lying from Saturday until Monday in the sun and rain. Nearly all of ours were...exposed...". Shelton's grammar is slightly altered to aid reading. Shelton fought with his battery at Antietam and Gettysburg while during the battle of the Wilderness where he was wounded and captured. Overall very good. $200-300