Five Union Soldiers' Letters and One Archive Associated With a New York Officer.... (Total: 6 Items)

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Five Union Soldiers' Letters and One Archive Associated With a New York Officer. A diverse lot consisting of the following items:
(1) Autograph Letter Signed, "L. Morrill Jr.", four pages on patriotic stationery, 5" x 7.5", Randolph County, Virginia, November 11, 1861, to "My Dear Aunt". Lewis Morrill was an early volunteer having enlisted in Co. "C", 13th Indiana Infantry on June 19, 1861. Re-enlisting on December 15, 1863, he mustered out a first sergeant at war's end. He writes in part: "...we were ordered to Webster County to disperse a band of rebels that had collected there and had been in the habit of stealing horses and cattle from the Union men and also lying in wait in the mountain passes and shooting our men...While we were out we had two successful skirmishes with the enemy killing several and taking thirteen prisoners and only had one man wounded...". Small split on upper fold, some aging. Good condition.
(2) Autograph Letter Signed, "Freeman E. Hodge", two pages on patriotic stationery, 5" x 8", from Camp Griffin, Defenses of Washington, November 14, 1861, to unknown recipient, probably a parent. Hodge served with the 3rd Vermont Volunteers from July 10, 1861 until discharged for disability on October 25, 1862. During this period his regiment participated in the Peninsula and Antietam Campaigns. Hodge writes a typical camp letter complaining of reviews and asking for provisions from home. Overall aging, good condition.
(3) Autograph Letter Signed, "W. A. Crafts", six pages, 5" x 8", Alexandria, Virginia, January 10, 1862, to Mary Jackson, Westford, New Hampshire. Accompanied by original stamped postal cover. Welcome A. Crafts, a 1st Lieutenant in Co. "B", 5th New Hampshire Volunteers at the time of this letter, was a Lt. Colonel by the fall of 1864. He did survive the war despite serving in an Army of the Potomac regiment that participated in all of its major engagements. His thoughts in January, 1862 were far from war and almost completely given to the recipient of this letter. Miss Jackson's hold on Lt. Crafts was such that he declared, "...I am in your hands, your slave, your willing subject...". Light aging, trivial splits. Very good condition.
(4) Autograph Letter Signed, "Fred Smith", four pages, 5" x 8", Stafford Court House, Virginia, March 16, 1863, to his "Cousin Charlie", location unknown. Frederick Smith enlisted in Co. "A", 5th Connecticut Volunteers on July 9, 1861, finishing his war a sergeant some three years later on July 22, 1864. This letter reads in part: "...We have not seen fighting lately but I suppose we shall when Genl Hooker gets ready. they make a cavalry raid around here occasionally but they look out and keep away from us, Splits on folds, else fine condition. The letter comes with a copy of Smith's service record and photocopies of "Minutes of the Business Meetings of the 5th Conn. Vol. Assn. beginning August 8th & 9th 1910."
(5) Autograph Letter Signed, "P. M. Laws", four pages, 5" x 8", Georgetown, District of Columbia, July 5, 1863, to wife and family in West Killingly, Connecticut. With original postal cover. Parris M. Laws was a private in Co. "K", 18th Connecticut. In this letter he is referring to the Battle of Winchester on June 13 - 15, 1863 where most of his regiment was captured. Laws writes in part, "...Our reg. with two or three others that shared about the same fate was overpowered by numbers and compelled to surrender, those that was in the fight and got away lost most of what they had...Gun, cartridge box and canteen I held on to...On our retreat from Winchester we had the rebs following us and the bushwackers to clear away in front...Our retreat from Harpers Ferry to this place has been harder to endure than the Winchester retreat...". Very good condition.
(6) Document grouping associated with Captain Gustavus Schimmel, 8th New York Volunteers and 15th New York Heavy Artillery. Schimmel, a Prussian immigrant, must have been an able soldier as he was commissioned a 2nd lieutenant of infantry after enlisting as a private. His subsequent artillery career began in earnest at the Wilderness, proceeded to Petersburg and was interrupted by a wound received at Weldon Railroad. Schimmel's papers here include: his Second Lieutenant's Commission, Citizenship Certificate, Brevet Captain's Commission, Membership Certificate in Society of the Army of the Potomac, a 21-page manuscript autobiography in German, and a Widow's Pension Certificate. The war date items are considerably worn with old tape repairs and some marginal loss.