1862 Letter Harrison's Landing McClellan Soldiers land!

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If you like having only the best and most authentic items in your Civil War collection, then consider this outstanding piece of American history! Letter from Private William Moore - NY Volunteers, 44 th Regiment, Co "H" Dated July 22, 1862 to "Friend J.W. Luce" from Harrison's Landing, Virginia - Headquarters - Army of the Potomac Under General McClellan Letter details guard and picket duty, soldiers landing and food unloaded for the Union Army! Letter's Historical Significance Berkeley's Plantation and Harrison's Landing on the James River in Virginia, was site of GENERAL GEORGE MCCLELLAN'S headquarters for the ARMY OF THE POTOMAC and a supply base for 140,000 Union soldiers in July and August of 1862 . This letter says, "we have moved our camp to the river and have to do guard duty down on the landings. T is 6 landings within a mile apart..." and he confirms the fact that "two or 3,000 soldiers land every day" and that "All the food for the army is unloaded ." Harper's Weekly described Harrison's Landing as being 25 miles SE of Richmond, but because the James river was so tortuous and crooked that it was twice as far by water: William Moore confirms this in his letter when he says that "a harder place never was than this." William Moore's letter also offers an incredible insight into the fears and dangers that a soldier encountered every day! He shows his bravery when he says he is coming home "after the war and not before...it's the making of a man if he don't get wounded or hurt." He mentions they have been in battle a lot. He also details the specific process soldiers followed when encountering an enemy in the night while on picket - including giving the "counter sign!" The following are some of the interesting excerpts from this outstanding letter: "The boatmen think they can go anyw but when they found they coudent, then for a fight one drew his revolver at me the other day, but that did not scare me. I hit him over the head with the old gun and he layed down. I took his revolver and gave it to the captain. This is a place w a man has got to keep his eyes open or he is layed out." "...every man that don't mind his own business and let things alone we pick him up and put him in the guard house. If we didn't they would kill one another all off in a few days. It wants some such fellows as we to guard this place. You take men that have been in battle as much as we have and they will just as lives kill a man as not if he don't mind...and when a man is on guard the rest must do as he tells them - if they don't you have a right to shoot them." "How would you like to be on picket and a man coming from the enemy's side in the night - when you could not see a rod to have him come up within a rod of you...then you must halt him and ask who comes t and he says friend - with that you must say advance friend and you give the counter sign. Now how do you know whether he is a friend or not - you don't know but what he will shoot you when he comes up...we have to run our own risk of that. Now I have been in just such a place as that in harder places..." "The first time I stood picket I was a little afrade, but I got over that....I am coming home at the end of the war and not before. I don't see what kept me in one place all of my life." Historical Notes President Lincoln visited the Landing twice during the summer of 1862, during the time this letter was written, and this fantastic letter was written within weeks of two historic ocassions: "Taps" Played for the First Time at Harrison's Landing : The first playing of the famous "Taps" reportedly took place for the first time on July 4, 1862 while the Army of the Potomac was being reviewed by General McClellan at Harrison 's Landing! Lincoln, McClellan and the July 8 th Visit to the Landing : Because Lincoln entered the White House in 1861 with humble credentials, Major General George B. McClellan didn't think too highly of him. At this time, McClellan was the highest ranking ... read more

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