Description:

COVERING LEE'S RETREAT ACROSS THE POTOMAC AFTER GETTYSBURG
A superb war-date A.L.S. of Pvt. Noah Deaton of the 26th North Carolina Infantry, 4pp. 8vo., "Near Bunker Hill, Va.," July 16, 1863 to his sister Sarah describing Lee's retreat across the Potomac following the Battle of Gettysburg. Deaton, who was one of the last to cross the river described the action in great detail including Meade's preparations to attack the Army of Northern Virginia prior to their crossing the Potomac. He writes, in part: "...I wrote to you the 12th Inst. When we were in line of battle in Maryland. We had a very good position and we good some few spades, pitchforks and paddles and boards and set to work as hard as we could. In a very short time had us some good breast works. The same day I wrote you.. in the evening the enemy drove our pickets to within 200 yards of our line and formed their line of skirmishers in some 600 or 700 yards of us in a clear open field. We could see about 1/2 mile of their lines in front of us. After dark (12th June) [sic, July] the picket firing ceased until morning when picket firing commenced all along our lines as far as we could hear. To the right and left the firing would increase to very rapid at times and everyone expected a general engagement at any moment. About 10 o'clock A.M. the firing ceased. The Yankee pickets brought out newspapers and commenced waving them at us for our men to bring some papers and exchange with them. One man from our side taken a paper and waved to the Yankees. Then I saw the Yankees started towards us and beckoned our man to come and our man beckoned him to come. They met on the half way ground, sho[o]k hands and exchanged papers, talked a few minutes and parted. That night our army fell back and crossed the river. It rained very heavy and we marched all night on the muddiest road I ever saw. A.P. Hill's Corps covered the retreat. It happened that our brigade was the last to cross. We formed a line of battle to hold the enemy in check if he should come until our wagons would all cross. Just as we were about to start we saw about 3 heavy columns of Yankee cavalry. At that time we saw one regt. coming to charge us and got up in ten steps before a gun was fired. They were the boldest and bravest Yankees you ever saw. they broke through the 11th regt. in one place and were shooting with one hand and cutting right and left with their sabers. Our boys that did not have bayonets turned the butts of their guns and emptied some saddles. I never saw such a tumbling of men and horses. they shot Gen'l Pettigrew and the wound is mortal. The Gen'l killed one of them. They came very near getting Gen'l [Henry] Heth but there was not more than 10 or 12 of the rascals that made their escape. The enemy then flanked us right and left and attacked us in front with artillery and drove us back 3 miles to [the] river and captured a great many of our men. If our artillery had not opened on them across the river they would have captured us all. When I reached the river and they were above an below and behind and were nearer the bridge than I was and I saw no chance to escape but to swim the river and was so over heated I knew it would not do to attempt 1/4 of a mile in a strong current. I had concluded to set down surrender. At that time our artillery opened. When I heard that I felt relieved and hurried on and crossed under cover of our cannon. We lost Bryant B. Moore from our company. I don't know for certain but there is little doubt he is a prisoner. I don't think he was killed or wounded but only captured... on our retreat from Maryland we were about 30 hours without anything to eat and were marching and fighting most of the times... " A superb Confederate battle-content letter. Text light, light toning, weak at folds, else very good condition.

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October 9, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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