Civil War Soldier's Letters (3) by Hamilton Ballentine of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry with Battle Content.. ...

Description

Civil War Soldier's Letters (3) by Hamilton Ballentine of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry with Battle Content.

Three letters by Hamilton Ballentine of the 6th Pennsylvania Cavalry, totaling twenty-four pages, dated May 12, 1863-May 15, 1864. Ballentine writes to his brother describing the Battle of Chancellorsville, the aftermath of the Gettysburg Campaign, and skirmishing as part of the Overland Campaign. Includes full typed transcriptions of the letters.

In his letter dated May 12, 1863, Ballentine gives details of his company's maneuvers along the Rappahannock River during the Battle of Chancellorsville. Ten pages of two bifolia and one leaf, 5 x 8 1/10 inches, Oakford Church, Virginia.

Combat took place over a period of seven days, during which Ballentine recounts heavy rain and deep mud creating difficult conditions for the cavalry. During the day, they skirmished while hungry and cold; at night, their prisoners escaped as the men did not have the energy or resources to hold them. The Battle of Chancellorsville proved one of the most decisive victories for the Confederates, as evidenced by Ballentine's descriptions of the Union's heavy losses and poor morale.

Letter reads in part (transcribed following original spelling): "We got thair Between 11 or 12 or so at Nit the river Was then so High we Could Not atemp to Cros it in the Dark So We Ware Dismounted and orderd to Stand to Hors But I Could Not Keep My eyes open any longer and the ground Was Nee Deep With Mud So I Hunted up a pece of a Bord and Had Just laid it Dow to fix my Horses lines around My leg when Mager Heselten Came up and picked up the Bord and I told Hims to lave it Down He asked Me if I knoed How [who] I Was taken to for he was Mager of this regt I told Him I Did Not Cair a Dam How He Was So He get Me By the throat and I Him then He puled out a pistel and Sae He Would Shoot Me I Said Shoot and Be Damed then He Went Away Saying He Would Have Me reduced and tied up to Morrow but tomorow Did not Com yet I Had Just got My Self Streched on My Bord When K Company Was ordered to the rear to Seport a Baterey Day Comse and Crosing the river Had Comenced it Had to be Swimed the Shels and ammuneshen Was throen in the river We got Saif over With the los of 3 Men Drounded and four Horses..."

Condition: Slight toning and creasing along mailing folds, as expected, with wear along the integral folds. Sheet containing pages seven and eight has been trimmed, with slight separation along the bottom margin.

On August 4, 1863, Ballentine writes describing skirmishing that occurred as the Union pushed Confederate forces toward Richmond, following the Union's victory at Gettysburg. Six pages on one bifolium and one leaf, 4 4/5 x 7 9/10 inches, Brandy Station, Virginia.

In part: "...our regt Has Drew up in lin to Seport the artilrey But the Rebes Having Such a fair Range Every Shot the fired told in our Rank one Shell Plowed in the ground about 2 yards a Hed of our lin lay thair for 2 or 3 minuts then Bust Not Hurten Ether Hors or Man that Was the only one that Did Not Hurt us or mor We then Deployed to the Right to flank them the Knew our Move fel Back to another Posesin We Still Kep up the March on the Right to We Came on a line With them the Had thair artilrey Set for us and the Hamton Bregaid Was Drew up in lin Waiting for us We got the Comand Charg We Had to Charg Down a larg open hill and through a swamp fol of Ditches Whil they ware Plowen our rank With grape and cariben Shot..."

Condition: With light toning and mailing folds, as expected. Moderate foxing and ink staining throughout. Pages five and six are trimmed, with moderate wear along the margins.

On May 15, 1864, Ballentine gives an account of the continuous skirmishing in Virginia as the Union Army forces the Confederates south toward Richmond. Eight pages on two bifolia, measuring 7 3/4 x 9 3/4 inches and 5 1/2 x 7 inches, Malvern Hill, Virginia.

Despite the near-constant fighting, Ballentine describes a brief meeting with a Rebel Major: "...on the Morning of the 3 at Day Break I Went along the Picket line Comending on the Right Which Restid Nair Slater Mounting geting Down Nair Somervill ford I Was Hailed By Rebel Mgor How Comanded the Picket line on the other Sid thair He gave Me a Rebel Paper and told Me that our armey Was Erly up as the ware Marching towards Eelies ford on the Rapadon that Was the first I knew of the Move He and I Had a Soshabel drink out of the Rebes litel flask So We Bid Each other a findley good By in Hopes to Meet Next Day in the Crash of Batel I Must Say He Was a gentel Man and I aproched the River He Crosed to our Side and Befor Doing Sow He ordired the Companey of Rebel infentrey Which Held the ford to laye Down thair arems and Not Pick them up to I Was yon Which the Did..."

Condition: With light toning and mailing folds, as expected. Wear along the integral folds, with minor separations thereat on second bifolium. Dog earing in the upper right corner of both bifolia, with moderate ink staining and foxing throughout. Small separations along mailing fold on pages three and four.

More Information: Sergeant Hamilton Ballentine, 1833-1920, was born in Ireland and immigrated to the United States as a young child, eventually working as a Coachman in Philadelphia. He mustered into the "K" Company of the Pennsylvania 6th Cavalry in 1861 and served through 1865.