Shoemaker from Lynn, Massachusetts who enlisted as a private on August, 8, 1862, and was mustered into Co. H of the Massachusetts 19th Infantry Regiment, and was wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. Civil War-dated ALS signed “W. A. Bartlett,” eight pages two sets of adjoining sheets, 6.25 x 7.75, July 11-14, 1863. Letter written from Chestnut Hill Hospital in Pennsylvania, describing his participation at the Battle of Gettysburg. In part (spelling corrected): "Well, Sarah, I will commence to write you a few lines and let you know something about the fight. Well, after three and one-half weeks of hard work we got to Gettysburg, Thursday morning [July 2] all wore out. We were not fit to fight any way for we marked from 15 miles to 24 a day. Some nights we marched until twelve o'clock and the next morning start again at daylight. We didn't get half enough to eat half of the time for our teams could not get to us on account of guerillas and Rebel Cavalry. They were after our supply train but they did not get it. We were out of rations the first day of the fight but the third day our trains came up, Sarah that was a terrible battle the hardest that was ever fought, with terrible slaughter on both sides, but the Rebel loss was the heaviest. We commenced fighting Thursday morning at half past 5 and continued with our guns in out hand ready if they attacked us in the night…but they did not trouble us until daylight Friday morning [July 3] then they opened their cannon on us and we fought all day until dark and thank God we were victorious. We licked them hard Friday night. Our Reg. took four Rebel flags and all the men. We took the 7th Virginia, 18th Virginia, 19th Alabama and the other I have forgot…
We had 60 men wounded in less than five minutes. They fell all around me but it seems as though I have a charmed life. I laid on the ground and there was 3 men killed on each side of me but I wasn't hit at all. One shell killed them all. There was quite a number of Lynn boys wounded but none killed…The wounded had to lay out of doors. They could not get covers for them…We have not got any very bad cases here…The men are in grand spirits. We have the best of care, better than I ever expected to have in a hospital." He goes on to describe hospital life over the course of the next few days and replies to letters from home received in the meantime, noting that his "wound was light," and responding to an inquiry: "Brother wanted to know how I felt when I was in battle. I felt good I felt as though we must lick them and did do it…I consider it the duty of every man to pitch in and do what they can and close this war up as soon as possible. If we don't have big fights we can never close up this war. We are out here to fight and I want to see every man come right up to the mark…I am not afraid to face the enemy." In very good condition, with overall creasing, soiling, and some light staining. Accompanied by a full typescript of the letter. The only eyewitness account we have seen of this epochal event.
