Dated “Bush Hill Alexandria, Va., Aug. 5^th 1861.” Address to “Dear Sister.” 3 pp. [incomplete] In ink on unlined paper w/ colored patriotic vignette in upper left corner. Exhibits fold-marks and slight chipping. Else VG.

Henry Cooley was a resident of Brattleboro, Vermont, mustered as a private into Co. “C”, 2nd Vermont Infantry, 6/21/1861, who died of disease, 1/11/ 1863. His 2nd Vermont was mustered in Burlington in June 1861 and following the first Battle of Bull Run fought in nearly all major battles of the Army of the Potomac [including Gettysburg, where it was engaged in repelling Picket’s Charge]. Mustered out July 15, 1865, the 2nd VT lost during service 224 men killed or mortally wounded and 175 by disease for a total of 399.

This three page letter contains interesting content concerning the First Battle of Bull Run, but is unfortunately cut short due to missing pages.

Text: “…You want to know about the fight. We had a pretty hard one. There was not over 40 thousand of us. There was from 90 to 125 thousand rebels. We drove them about two miles and the ground was covered with dead and wounded. We started that morning at half past one for the fight. We march till 2 in the afternoon and the last six miles we went in less than an hour. You see by that we travel sometimes. We did not have time to rest some of the men died from the heat we did not have any water only what we caught up as we went through a brook where men horses and wagons were going through at the same time. It was nothing but mud but almost choked to death.

When we got there we threw off our blankets and provisions and coats. We expected to whip them and then come back and get them. They were in a wood and it was full of batteries. They commenced fireing on us when we was within a mile of them. The first shot they fired killed Russel Benjmin of B. Father knowed him. We stood on a hill in front of them when commenced they came out with their flag three times and we shot it down. I stood by the side of our flag and Albert r and Philander stood by me. They left before I did to help carry off some of the wounded. They was not either of them hurt. I know for I see them some time after more than a mile from the field. They had one of our men on horse…”

Fine First Bull Run collectible. Solid battle comments from a Private of the 2^nd Vermont Infantry.   [JP] [ph:L]

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