Description:

THE ARMY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA RECOVERS FROM THE BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG
A fine war date A.L.S. of Pvt. Noah Deaton of the 26th North Carolina Infantry, 4pp. 8vo., "Camp Near Culpepper, Va.," July 27, 1863 to his sister Sarah describing the decimation among the ranks of the regiment, who at Gettysburg participated in Pickett's charge losing nearly 3/4 of its men. Deaton writes, in part: "...During the most part of the last 2 months this army has seen much hard service during and has seen the horror of war in reality in its most ghastly form. The battle of Gettysburg was among the bloodiest battles of the war and there many of our best men fell. Among those whom I was most attached to by the ties of affection was John & William McKinnon. Capt. McIver in speaking of them spoke in the following words thus, William and John McKinnon, more noble hearted, unswerving boys never lived not nor better soldiers, in heat and cold, wet and dry, in camp, on the march and even in battle, I have ever found the same, not faltering or avoiding any duty, but always the same, ready and willing. Noble spirit of the scotch marked their character... the admiration of all. It is not known that William is dead but it is feared he is. The last positive news from him is that in the 3 days fight when our Regt. was almost extinguished he was in front going forward when our men fell back. There is a report that he fell killed or wounded but I cannot trace the report to any reliable source. John was wounded and died about an hour before our forces fell back and was left at the hospital with J. A. N. McLeod both unburied. I have been in one fight since I came back. It was a cavalry charge, none killed in our Regt, but 63 captured... As we came through the mountains we were harassed by the Yankee cavalry. Some pretty sharp skirmishing occurred and lasted some two hours when the Yankees were dispersed. We were not injured but many shells passed over us but done us no harm. We have gone into camp near Culpepper. Many of our boys are coming from the hospital. Our company numbers 25 now. We have lost our best officers. Col. H. K Burguyn and Brigadier Gen'l J. J. Pettigrew... " According the Gettysburg after-battle report of the 26th North Carolina: "We went in with over 800 men in the regiment. There came out but 216, all told, unhurt." Our correspondent had been fortunate enough to be just returning from leave at the time, and was unable to make it to Pennsylvania in time to join his regiment. He did manage to help his decimated regiment cover the retreat across the Potomac. 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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