Description:

BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG
Fine content soldier's letter by Matthew E. Richards, mustered into 96th PA Infantry, 1st Division, 4pp. 8vo., ‘Head Qrs…On Battlefield', Dec. 15, 1862, to ‘Sophie', in part: ‘…Our brigade crossed the river on Thursday afternoon towards dark…We advanced steadily after our skirmishers, until we reached the old Richmond road about 2 o'clock in which neighborhood…we have remained up to this time. We have been shelled severely before we got here, and the rebs on the hills before us shell us whenever they take a notion and keep it up very lively when they commence, but the Richmond road is pretty deep, and it forms a natural rifle pit so that all the men have to do is lie on the back next to the rebel fortifications and shot and shell pass over our heads…a miss is as good as a mile, and we have only had one man killed and six wounded, all belonging to the 121st N.Y. Vols. on picket by rebel sharp shooters…We have lost none for the 96th…The position of our brigade in line of battle is the right division of the center grand division…Sumner is now on our right and Hooker to our left. There has been some desperate fighting both on our right and left, but our division has only had one skirmish. We have not attacked the rebs, and they have only attacked us that once we when drove them back. We are lying right in front of a long line of rebel entrenchments on the hills, in easy artillery range. They have a very strong position, and I should judge by the appearance of things here, that the center will not attack, but that fighting will be done of the right and left…We have been entirely without tents since we crossed the river, even the men cannot put up their shelter tents, but men and officers, generals and privates alike have nothing but the sky to cover them…We are all anxious to know what [Nathaniel] Banks is doing, as we have had no newspapers…I thought you might suppose that we were on the left where the hard fighting was on Saturday, and after looking around got hold of this paper and envelope…Sunday was pretty quiet, very little artillery and no musketry at all except the pickets…'. On December 12, Richards and the 96th moved over the Rappahannock, and after some skirmishing took position with the brigade along the Bowling Green Road at a point above where it is crossed by Deep Run. They remained there under almost continuous firing without becoming actively engaged except on the skirmish line, until the night of December 15, when the brigade re-crossed the river and encamped near White Oak Church. Richards likely wrote from there. Near fine condition.

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January 18, 2024 10:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

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