Civil War Letters PA Bucktails Ready for Battle Soldier Taken POW, Dies at SC
Civil War Letters: PA Bucktails Prepare for Battle; Soldier Taken POW at Wilderness, Dies at SC. Were highly regarded soldiers, skilled at using riffles.
Each wore a buck tail. The regiment remained on duty in Washington until February 1863 when it joined the Army of the Potomac at Belle Plain, VA. It eventually arrived at Gettysburg on the first day of the battle and went into position on the ridge in front of the seminary, near the Chambersburg Pike. It remained with heroism throughout the first day and suffered heavy losses: 53 killed, 172 wounded and 111 captured or missing. On May 4, 1864, it moved on the Wilderness Campaign, Laurel Hill, the North Anna, Totopotomy, Cold Harbor and the first assaults on Petersburg. Its losses were enormous 34 killed, 249 wounded and 121 missing.The Bucktails fought in several other battles, including Weldon Railroad and Dabneys Mill. It was mustered out on June 24, 1865. Offering two letters, one from PRIVATE DENNIS BAILEY and the second from Baileys mother to her other son, Peter. Dennis Bailey wrote to his brother Peter 3 pp, 4 ½ x 7 ¾ -- on February 26, 1863, as his regiment, Co. Pennsylvania Volunteers, had just moved from Washington, and was preparing for battle at Chancellorsville.
Bailey would later be taken prisoner at Wilderness (May 5, 1864) and would die at Florence, SC, (August 18, 1864). Camp near Bell Plain, Va. , In part: We left Washington Sunday the 15 for Bell Plain landing. We came here by water. We landed the 16It is about 60 miles from Washington.We marched out from the river about two miles and campedThe weather since we came here has been stormy and cold. There has been snow on the ground most of the time. There is about 8 inches nowWe are within 8 miles of Fredericksburg. I have been out on picket duty 2 daysWe had to take two days rations out with usThere is six of us tents together...
There are 2 of them on picket now. We have a log shanty built covered with our oil blankets and have a fire place in itWe have to drill every daywe are brigaded now [with] the 149, 150 & 143 Penn. We are the 2 Brigade, 3d Division, first army CorpsThere will be a move of the army as soon as the roads gets good. They are very bad now.
The army is camped all round hereWe will be in the first battle, that is they are preparing for it but it would be impossible to move nowWell about them girls that fell in love with my likeness just tell them to wait till the war is over and if I escape the bullets, I will call around and see themI remain your affectionate Dennis Bailey. In a second very informative home front letter, Baileys mother, also writes to Peter, providing a first-hand account of how the draft has affected her hometown of Cochranton, PA.2 pp, 7 ¼ x 9, Nov. In part: Dennis bailey is in the 150 Regiment Pa.
ReisingerDenny sends his love to you and would like to have a letter from you. We sent him a box of dried fruit, mittens, etc. Last week there was over 900 men drafted in this county, 51 in this township, 5 in this neighborhood Comes with the original stamped cover. Folds, expected toning to both letters. Light occasional staining to the letter from Baileys mother.
Covers are soiled, but contain stamps. Our goal is to please every customer. We are pleased to be members of The Manuscript Society, Universal Autograph Collectors Club and The Ephemera Society. The item "Civil War Letters PA Bucktails Ready for Battle Soldier Taken POW, Dies at SC" is in sale since Friday, January 27, 2017. This item is in the category "Collectibles\Militaria\Civil War (1861-65)\Original Period Items\Correspondence, Mail". The seller is "bminnocci6mtm" and is located in Boston, Massachusetts. This item can be shipped to United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Denmark, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Czech republic, Finland, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Estonia, Australia, Greece, Portugal, Cyprus, Slovenia, Japan, China, Sweden, South Korea, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Belgium, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Netherlands, Poland, Spain, Italy, Germany, Austria, Russian federation, Israel, Mexico, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Switzerland, Norway, Saudi arabia, Ukraine, United arab emirates, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Croatia, Malaysia, Chile, Colombia, Costa rica, Panama, Trinidad and tobago, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica.