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Civil War Confederate Soldier's Letters by William Bennett, 20th Georgia Infantry. ...
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Description
Civil War Confederate Soldier's Letters by William Bennett, 20th Georgia Infantry. Eight letters, seven dated September 19, 1861 to June 9, 1862 and one not dated. All letters are written in ink and measure from 5" x 8.68" to 7.62" x 9.81". Bennett mustered into Company F of the 20th Georgia Infantry on August 16, 1861 and died of disease on September 1, 1862 in Richmond, Virginia.During Bennett's time with the 20th Georgia, the regiment fought in the Army of Northern Virginia at the Seven Days' Battles and the Battle of Cold Harbor. After Bennett died, the soldiers went on to participate in major battles such as Suffolk, Chickamauga, Knoxville, Petersburg, and Gettysburg. In the latter, 350 men engaged Union forces and more than thirty-five percent of them were injured or killed over the course of the battle.
In his letters, Bennett largely reports on troop movements from the sidelines while recovering from chronic illness. However, his lack of experience on the front lines did not diminish his fervor for the Confederate cause. On September 18, 1861, he wrote to his wife and children, saying in part, "Our boys are all in good spirits & they want to get at the Yankie [sic] to give them a licking & to see them run double quick we have whip [sic] them & can whip them again, for we are on the right side. I want you to tell all of the boys to come & help us to whip old Abe's hords [sic] of abolitionists who fight for plunder & booty it is every man's duty to fight for his country, his wife, & children. Dear wife and children you wrote to me that you wanted to see me but you know I want to see you as bad as you can want to see but I can't now but I hope that peace may be made soon numerable to the cause of the Confederate States & that we may be a free & indipendent [sic] nation, may the god of battles look down & smile on our army & cause it to triumph over the enemy, is my prayers."
As winter stalled the prospects of action, the 20th Georgia Infantry turned on one of their commanders, Colonel Eli M. Seago. On February 2, 1862, Bennett wrote, "I can state to you that we drawed [sic] a petition for Seago to resign & every man's name was put to it but two I think he will resign but I do not know what he will do but we are determined to have him out at any cost for he has acted so bad to his men you will hear from some of the rest of the boys how he has acted. I do not think there will be a fight here this winter the roads are so bad they cannot hall [sic] the artillery."
Two months later, Bennett notified his wife of the recent Union victory in New Orleans. On April 25, he wrote, in part, "We have bad news to tell you this time the Yanks have taken New Orleans that is sad information indeed but we must hope for the better the worst can't but come, there has been no fight in York town yet only some scirmishing [sic] with the Yankies [sic] it is doubtful whether there will be or not my regt is at Yorktown. It has been there for some three weeks or more. I want to go to them as soon as I am able to stand a march."
Bennett's report on the action at Yorktown was correct. There, a small force of Confederate soldiers led by Major General John B. Magruder had been entrenched at Yorktown since April 5, 1862. Although Union Major General George B. McClellan attempted to probe the rebel defenses on April 15, ten days before Bennett's letter, they were quickly driven back. After two more weeks of inaction on McClellan's part, Magruder's forces slipped away in the middle of the night on May 3, 1862.
Though it is unclear whether Bennett ever saw battle, his letters offer unique insight into the motivations and beliefs of Confederate foot soldiers and demonstrate just how many enlisted men suffered not from battle wounds but from disease.
Condition: Creasing along folds for all documents. Toning and intermittent staining throughout. January 28, 1862 letter has staining to right margin, affecting text. February 2, 1862 has staining to right margin of first page, affecting integral page and text on both pages, and separations at creases. April 28, 1862 has stain to left and top margins, affecting integral page and text on both pages. May 23, 1862 letter has staining at center of document and several small separations, both affecting text.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
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