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Civil War-dated ALS from Union soldier Thomas Jefferson Burnham of Vermont, signed “Bro. Jefferson,” eight pages, 7.25 x 9.25, November 12, 1863. Addressed from “Camp near Beverly Ford, Va.,” a lengthy handwritten letter to “Brother and Sister,” Benjamin Franklin Burnham and his wife, detailing events of the Second Battle of Rappahannock Station. In part (spelling and grammar retained): “I have passed through another battle unharmed and hasten to tell you the part it took in it. Gen Meade surprised us at day break 7th (Camp near Warrenton) by the order March! and more we never mistrusted but we were on our way to Aqua Creek to find winter quarters. He equally surprised the foe north of the Rappahannock River about noon who saw our baggage wagons merge from the woods a mile from them & set their plans to capture them. They had other business in twenty minutes. We were down on them in two lines of battle at the Rappahannock River & a Corps at kelly's Ford 4 miles below while our Cavelry went on a flank movement crossing above.
The first and third divisions of our Corps had the front at the forts & were mos (+) damaged. The afternoon was spent in sharp hard pushing, skirmishing and shelling. About 4 o clock the 5th Wisconsin Regt & the 5th & 6th Maine & 43rd N.Y. pushed right into fort (no 1 in my anexed Diagram) under a murderous fire from canister of several guns & mounted across a wide ditch & up a high bank. There was fifteen minutes Our flag was on one side & the rebel flag on the other of the fort walls. I saw 6 dead bayoneted Rebels from there, next morning and one with both legs broken by the strike of a clubbed gun. Again at dark when the rebels supposed the days work done & their own camp soon in to help them, Meade surprised them by the very hotest fighting and takeing all their men not killed or wounded on the north side of the river prisoners by cutting them off from recrossing their pontoon bridge. Our regiment came over double quick & seeing the fix their comrads were in their Colonel sung out ‘Bout face, double quick!’ (To late) Federal Colonel says ‘No matter bout it Col, I command here ‘Halt’ and they had to. Wasn't that cool? When our Cavelry began to come up in their rear off 12 miles they were in a great hurry were about the river & made off in a hurry. Our Vt Brigade band Danced them with ‘Wait for the wagon’ & ‘Yankee Doodle.’
The hardest time for me was at 4 pm. Shells from both forts flew around me in a very careless way. Whiring along in their particular ‘Which one, wheres ye wheres ye, Who!’ They were nervous aggitation but after all only one man in the 4th Vt Regt (a pioneer bridging a wide field ditch) was hit and that piece came 40 rods from the burst. Poor Reb gunners threw them to high. One shot took two fellows & the piece of tire off a cassion wheel in my sight, and a shell burst three feet from a ‘darkie’ waiter without hurting him!! We were under the roll of the wide plains so they could not see us. (4th VT) There rolls, in 40 rods vary 6 to 8 feet from a lead level, in the forts are on bluffs near the rivers bank - yet the second ridge is highest. I am to a poor hand with the pen to give you all the particulars in proper order but can only say with gratitude & sincere reverence God appointed my stations and I am safe - I did but little in the struggle but swell the numbers, go where I was ordered trustingly and cheerfully. That was my duty & its done.
Next day Nov 8th we pushed up at all points and to one looking was the best looking exhibition military. It is no usual sight to see two lines (continuous) 6 miles with heavy support, artillary, ambulances, ordinance & ammo trains following close up. I can tell you the front line of skirmishes & cavelry, & light artillery was ‘no fool’ of a sight. I have tried to give you a conception of it in diagram 3? as viewed from the Rebel side, at this position (like the fight sometime ago) the fighting was mostly skirmishing between our front & the retreating Reb rear guard. I could see the field for three miles front or left. There are four or 5 residences & plantations must have been nice in their prosperous days. One was a shell hole near a window cutting studding and all away 20 inches around, done in Cavelry charge 8 weeks ago. I think from appearances Genl Meade expected an attack at Brandy Station. However we retired out of the…of November the 9th to the woods north west a mile & took up quarters where the 12th & 19th Mass Regts lay, & left in haste. From every indication they left some ingenious built forts and Sergt M. A. Twitchel, two Harrises & Burnham have one built precisely like the one in the diagram 1. It is 7 by 12 & we completed it yesterday 11th Nov - (4 of us two days) 1 have looked all about for some relick of the Rebel camp to send you but beyond old shoes, broken skillets, sabers, fragments of Richmond papers I find nothing. I send what I have - a piece of their uniform coats the standard color, but they wear every shade of grey - One Company the "Athens Guards" had "bottle green" tweed frock coats with red cuffs and collars. They had laid out much hard labor on these quarters and considering the season, their destination and all, they must have wished ‘the flatfooted, abolition Yankees’ anything but happy just about the time their officers were hurrying them up, with, - ‘full in’ - ‘full in lively men’ - I send you a copy of Adjt. Colemans requisition for Confederate…stores. I lay cold often under two good woolen blankets in a tent and consider soldering anything but pleasant, but I declare, it would need a stouter heart than mine to change places with the foe under their present prospects. Eight North carolinians hid away and came in to us - deserters - Nov 10th Also yesterday morning two more. I saw one of these and he said if Genl Lee had not put them under a strong guard, two Regts N Carolinians would have come, I can speak for one said he with a wink. There is a stump nearby where they pounded corn to make ‘Jonny cakes’ or coffee & the scarcety of bones or beef heads around their tents tells in a soldiers mind - but I will say no more about them, only, deliver me from prisoners fare. & I hope half the reports of Union prisoners starvation are untrue. I am glad my friends in the order of kind providence are remote from war's desolations and I hope happy, well, and enjoying each day as it passes My health is good with the exception of a ‘stich’ in my back and an undescribable feeling in my stomach towards vegitables, potatoes in particular.
By a late letter from wife I learn of Cousin Silas death with very sad feelings for he was ‘one of us’ by everything, and much interested in our welfare. I had the Burnham love of kindred as sincere as the best of the race. This event will alter his wifes prospects - how much! & make her miss his wit & companionship more!! I hope he gave some good evidence of Its Being Well with Him Hereafter.
It is very gratifying to learn the care exercised toward our old Groton Church ediface. I hope it will stand till my Grand Childrens day as some of fathers skill - 1 presume it will be repaired so as to add to the looks of the little village.
Maria says Justice Boynton has made full remittence & sent her a present of 9 mould glass goblets. I am much obliged to you for any trouble you were put to on this & other items of my business and I feel much endebted to your wife for her last letter. That & cousin Theresa's too 1 have kept and read them often. They are beside common letters like the Psalms compared with Jewish laws, ordinances ceremonies & Chronological tables. I hope the Groton young people enjoy your seminary term this fall and that I shall hear from them again let them read this well ment but hastely written letter.
My three tent mates want to write and it's not fair for me to keep the piece of board on my lap much longer. They are very kind to me and many times I should want sadly but for friends in this company & others too. Sometimes when I went to bed with a slim prospect of breakfast next morning someone would remind me of a very slight kindness I had done them by a share of theirs so Providence seems to say ‘Thou shalt not want any good thing.’ Have Faith, Nana has rigged me a nice box with boots….shirts and it is now at Alexandria. I hope we shall soon get in our express. The 1st corps are to work repairing the RR and the cars come this side of Warrenton Junction 14 miles or so from here. We think Genl Meade will…again if mud does not prevent and that our present winter quarters are Hypocritical But we only have to obey orders & make every day as Pleasant & happy as we can & not borrow trouble. There is much discussion both here & back in Vermont about when the lot of recruits I am in will be mustered out. I have a letter (to me) from P. T. Washburn who thinks we shall be held together three years. If we are I shall forever lay it up against Vermont, for it was well understood we were reenlisted to serve out the time of the regiment remaining.” On the seventh and eighth pages, Burnham adds extensive diagrams and details regarding the Union attack, concluding with an amusing section titled “Incidents,” in part: “6th Regt Maine private overtakes Rebel Lt just going to plunge in the river, by the seat of pants, from 6th Maine ‘Halt, surrender’ Lt ‘you a private’ 6th M, ‘yes’ Lt ‘Well, I never will surrender to a private’ 6th M ‘Very Well’ (cocks his piece, muzzle close to Rebs head) Lt ‘Oh! I will, I will! 6th M ‘I thought so.’ Another - 5th Wisconsin man & Reb officer - same - only he got gun cracked over his head the gun…and made a hole in Rebs head as large as my finger where the cock hammer entered his skull, killing him of course, stove the stock all to splinters. I heard a man say he saw both the above.” In fine condition, with a block of light soiling to the first page.
Thomas Jefferson Burnham, the son of Moses and Virtue (Hall) Burnham, was born in Groton, Vermont on April 15, 1827. He married Maria Paul Heath on October 11, 1851. They had three children, Newell, George, and Burton. Thomas enlisted in Company I, Fourth Vermont Regiment on August 11, 1862. He was promoted to corporal and was killed at the Battle of Cedar Creek on October 19, 1864.
On November 7, the Fifth and Sixth Corps were sent against Rappahannock Station, which General Robert E. Lee had ordered fortified and strongly entrenched. At 4:00 p.m. the Fifth Corps' skirmishers, including a ‘large’ detachment from the 44th and the Third Brigade, began to charge toward the enemy's works, in line with the Sixth Corps. The charge was successful, and the skirmishers from the 44th were among the first to scale the fortifications and drive the enemy away. The regiment lost three killed, three wounded, and two captured in the action, which resulted in the capture of 1,300 soldiers and eight pieces of artillery. Company E had two men seriously wounded, Josephus Simmons and Amos Vincent, neither of whom returned to action with the regiment. The victory freed the Rappahannock for crossing and allowed the opportunity for Meade to launch an offensive campaign.
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