Description:

COMMANDER OF COOPER'S LIGHT ARTILLERY IS NEARLY KILLED AT GETTYSBURG
A good war-date Union soldier's Gettysburg campaign letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Abram Rhoades, Battery B, (Cooper's) 1st Pa. Light Artillery, "Camp Rappahannock Station", Aug. 13, 1863 concerning marching to and participating in the battle of Gettysburg where they helped defend the Union lines near the Lutheran Seminary on the First Day's fighting. In part: "…John Duman was sun struck but he is over it now…the Southern Confederacy is pretty well plaid out…all we want now is the drafted men to come and help us to whip Lee's army…his army was whipped at Gettysburg, Pa on the 1st, 2nd 3rd of July…the men…are ready to fight the last battle…we marched forty two miles while we were after Lee into Penna…sometimes we would march all night…we traveled about five hundred miles and crossed five different mountains some of them very large…I have been in all the battles that the battery…was in…I never was in as hard of battle as…Gettysburg. I didn't think the half of us would get through safe…we were very lucky considering the heavy fire we were under all three days. We lost three of our best men out of the old company [Alexander P. Alcorn and James H. McCleary]…our wounded are doing well. Some of them are on duty again…Asahel Shaffer is on duty again. He was struck on the right arm with a spent musket ball. He had to [?] for a few weeks. Our little captain [James H. Cooper] got through safe. He had his overcoat strapped on his saddle and there was a musket ball passed through it while he was on the horse…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Very good.

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February 19, 2014 11:00 AM EST
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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