Lot 413 email save

Holding the Defences at the Kansas Line

Sign In to see what this sold for

Autograph Letter Signed, 3p. quarto, Lawrence, Kansas, November 13, 1864, and reads in part: "...A great excitement broke out here about a month ago. Price is heading this way with his entire army 30,000 infantry and Shelby with 18,000 cavalry, will be in Kansas less than one week. The State Militia called out to meet him. So off we go down to the line. Camp at Shawnee town four days ( 8 miles from Mo. line) hurrah! Strike tents boys and be ready to march in thirty minutes, off we go for Westport, Mo. arrive there (4 oclock morning) ‘Whats the news from Price!’ why he’s in Independence and will be here by noon unless Gen. Blount can check him on the Big Blue Creek...Shelby is trying to flank us with his cavalry. So down to Kansas City we go arrive at daylight. Ordered down to the Big Blue Helter Skelter we go. Gen. Curtis is there fortifying, get in the entrenchments bosy and dig like blazers. bom, bim ker lip look out for the shells. Keep your eyes skinned fellers for the limbs let loose our batteries at them, ha ha, how do you like our compliments Mr. Reb nuthin like grape and cannister for the Rebs, says an old gunner. See them skedaddle the whole country is alive with rebs...Gen. Pleasonton has arrived with 15,000 cavalry and has cut off Shelby’s advance. ‘bully for Pleasanton’ Kansas is saved ‘hurrah hurrah’ another dispatch from the front ‘what’s the news?’ bully good news. Blunt has cut his way through to Pleasenton and they are giving Old Price ‘h___l’ Now for it boys pitch in...Show them what Kansas boys can do, here they come charginig our battery, double shot the guns, infantry fall back be ready to support the batteries, a clashing tremendous charge the rebs fall back, oh my God what a sight, 700 Rebs lay piled like logs on the ground a whole regiment cut to pieces hurrah! hurrah! for the bully little battery, and now comes the command for the whole cavalry to charge and foller them up. They are whipped, they run, they scatter in all directions. "Kansas is saved’ and now comes teh work of taking care of the wounded and burying the dead. A sorry day for the Rebs, they lay scattered over ten miles of country and now comes in the Prisoners, a mean sneaking lousy looking set..." More. VG.

View Raynors' Historical Collectible Auctions next auction.

Similar lots up for auction