[Civil War – James H. Closson and the 91st Pennsylvania Vol. Inf. Regt.] collection. [ letter archive]...

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[Civil War - James H. Closson and the 91st Pennsylvania Vol. Inf. Regt.] collection. [ letter archive] An important and moving collection of (16) letters from James H. Closson, Captain of Company H of the 91st Pennsylvania Volunteer Regiment. The regiment was raised near Philadelphia during the fall of 1861 and mustered into Federal service on 4 December of that year. Edgar M. Gregory was elected colonel of the regiment. In January 1862 the 91st was ordered to Washington, D.C. serving in garrison duties until August, when it was sent to the Army of the Potomac. The letters are written mostly to his mother, but also his wife, Josephine, before she died from consumption of the lungs. Closson writes rich, and oftentimes horrifying, anecdotal descriptions of key battles in the war, including Antietam, Gettysburg, Spotsylvania Court House and Cold Harbor. Also included is a handwritten General Order N. 12, Head Quarters 91st Regt., Camp Stanton, Bladensbury Road, 27 January 1862, signed by Colonel E.M. Gregory, as well a 1-page "List of Casualties in Co. H., 91st Reg't PVI", naming the soldiers wounded and killed from 5 May through 18 June 1864. Also present is Closson's Commonwealth of Pennsylvania document appointing him as Captain. Highlights include: 2 June 1862, Alexandria, Va. The news has just came that McClellan has taken Richmond after a tremendous fight, and that he has taken 20,000 prisoners, if that is true, the rebellion is nearly crushed out. Bouregard [sic] after spending months in fortifying Corrinth [sic] evacuated that stronghold, and allowed the Union forces to enter without striking a blow...They [the rebels] are good at lying and bragging but they have not got the bottom that northern troops have... 7 October 1862, Camp near Sharpsburg, Md. I suppose you have heard all about the great battle of Antietam, but no discription [sic] I have seen in the papers comes up to the reality of the scene, it was undoubtedly the hardest fought battle of the war. The traitors were commanded by Lee, Jackson, Longstreet...they fought with desperation, but could not withstand the terrible earnestness of our brave boys, who drove them from every point of the field, capturing several batteries of artillery, several thousand prisoners, and covering the ground with the dead...I saw one corn field of about 10 acres that had 1500 dead rebels lying in it...and I saw a gully about 3 ft. deep...filled with them in some places 4 deep, and nearly every man shot in the head, showing the accuracy of our men's aim... 1 July 1863 [Gettysburg, Pa.] ...arrived at Hanover at 2 o'clock halted until 6 when we again started in the direction of Gettysburg, halted 5 miles from Gettysburg...July 2 marched this morning at 4 formed line of battle at 7. We then moved into a wood and remained under cover until 5 o'clock when we were ordered to the front and were soon engaged. We took a position on a hill called Round Top and were ordered to hold it at all hazards, we were supporting Battery D 5th regular artillery. Remained on Round Top until 5 o'clock PM on the 5 July when our casualties were one man wounded... 13 May 1864, Battle field near Spotsylvania Court House, Va. Since we crossed the Rapidan we have been fighting for ten days with Lee's army, he is badly beaten now but I think we will destroy him and his army in a few days more. The fighting has been terrible, and the losses enormous on both sides but the rebel loss is by far the heaviest. We have captured 10,000 prisoners. I was captured in the first days fight, and was struck with a spent ball but did not hurt me more than a bruise. I was taken from the rebs by the 2nd U.S. Infantry and was with my regt. in less than two hours after they took me... 1 June 1864, Battle Field South Side the Pamunkey River 10 miles from Richmond, Va. Our Brigade has been in every battle and we have whipped Lee in every fight, the rebs made four charges to break through our lines but were handsomely repulsed each time day before yesterday. Our loss has been very heavy in wounded, but we have lost but few prisoners, while we have captured many thousand rebs, and their loss in killed and wounded is much greater than ours...We will have a hard road to travel for the next ten miles, but we will be in Richmond by 4th of July. The Rebels are entrenched all the way down but Grant is a good Genl and we will flank them out of their strong positions... 4 June 1864, Battle field near Cold Harbor, Va. We had a severe battle here day before yesterday and a heavy fight on the left yesterday and last night, but we were successful and repulsed them with fearfull [sic] loss...two more of our officers are wounded, Capt. Francis and Lieut. Jones, there are now but five line officers left with the Regt. Two Companies to each officer...We were entrenching all the afternoon and falling trees in front of us and were prepared to give them a warm reception if they advanced on us, they did try it twice, but our artillery poured canister and shell into them so fast that they had to give it up...