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(CHANCELLORSVILLE SOLDIER'S LETTER)

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166. (CHANCELLORSVILLE SOLDIER'S LETTER) A great war-date A.L.S. 4pp. 8vo., ink inscribed, Union soldier's letter written by Corp. Henry Ellis, Co. A, 33rd Mass. Vol. "Camp near Stafford Court House, Va., May 8, 1863" concerning the Union debacle at Chancellorsville and of their regiment losing all of its knapsacks. In small part: "...the Regt has done some pretty hard work...we have...lost or left but a few men from this Co. there is only two missing and Lieut. Merserve...was shot in his boot...he was obliged to go to the rear. It was done by a shot from his own revolver...Dr. Sam Lawrence...was with us till we got to the battlefield and...had to...pick up his duds...or the Johnnies would have had him. He left us...when our brigade packed up their knapsacks and went out after the Rebs...in less than an hour the Rebs were...the owners of all our knapsacks, about three thousand of them...the Dr....had about $15,000...of our money and about $25.00 of my own...I guess...the old Dr. thought that the shells came...near enough...we took a good shelling. One struck within four feet of me but did not burst. It covered me with mud...the next day (Sunday) we were supporting batteries all day...and we were ready with our guns all capped. The Rebs could never have drove us from our position. We were too much for them every time...we don't know whether Fredericksburg is ours...we knew it was but have since heard that we had lost it...Old Joe is our leader still...I have not had my equipment off for ten days...I never saw the Boys so kind to each other as they were on this last march. I...lost one days rations with my knapsack but I lost my overcoat, 2 shirts, 1 pair drawers, 2pr stocking, 1 pr gloves, 2 shelter tents and my sewing materials...we was about five miles off when they come. The rest of the Corps did not fight very well...we took a whole regt of Rebbels to pay for the knapsacks so...that for four knapsacks we got one Rebel...we under marching orders...the last two days we marched the mud was very deep and it rained most of the time...tell Herbert that his letter was in my overcoat and [the] Rebbels have got the coat...[and] my diary, but no other letters. I always burn them up. I wish that you could have seen some of the grey backs [that] we took prisoners..." Also, included is the original transmittal envelope and a complete typed transcription of the letter. Corp. Ellis served faithfully with his regiment and fought at the battle of Gettysburg, and was wounded during the Atlanta campaign at the battle Lost Mountain, Georgia on June 16, 1864. He was again wounded, this time mortally, at the battle of Bentonville, N.C. on March 21, 1865, and died just days after Lee surrendered at Appomattox. Very minor toning, else near fine condition. $600-800

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