Lot 146: JOHN B. BACHELDER (1825-1894). Preeminent

JOHN B. BACHELDER (1825-1894). Preeminent nineteenth century historian of the Battle of Gettysburg integral to its preservation; landscape painter and photographer. ALS, 8pp separate, 8"x121/2", Washington, DC, Dec 1892. On lightly lined paper responding to former Confederate Major General Fitzhugh Lee (1835-1905). Superb historic content describing the Battle of Gettysburg. Bachelder answers Lee's inquiries concerning the battle. He sets down Lee's questions, and then provides his views. A sampling: "...[George] Pickett's division was formed on the morning of July 3d in two lines of battle, which ran diagonally to the Union position which they assaulted with [James] Kemper's and [Richard] Garnett's brigades in the front line. This line lay during the cannonade that preceded the charge, with the right of Kemper 1860 yards, the left of Garnett 1160 yards, and the centre of [Lewis] Armistead 2660 yards from the Union line. A ridge along which runs the Emmitsburg road, and behind which General Pickett formed his division and on which several battalions of Confederate artillery were placed lay between the two armies. As Pickett's division advanced over this ridge the left of his line became first exposed, the division coming under fire at an average of 1100 yards from the Union position...Kemper's advance was resisted by the Sixteenth Vermont infantry deployed as skirmishers, commanded by Colonel Wheelock G. Veazey......all of which after a short but sharp encounter were brushed away...When Kemper's brigade again united with Garnett's brigade, it changed direction to its right, and the brigades advanced to the stone wall, followed by Armistead's...The two commands advanced...[Alexander] Webb's brigade was formed with the Sixty-ninth Pennsylvania and a detachment of the seventy-first Pennsylvania lying behind a stonewall...When the Confederate line charged the Union troops at the stone wall...fell back and formed behind the rear stone wall...large numbers of Kemper's men sought shelter behind some rocky, bush-covered knoll, others advancing with Garnett's brigade, and threw themselves behind the wall (General Garnett was killed within twenty feet of it) where they engage in a hand-to-hand conflict...Armistead's brigade following with Heth's division joining on it's left, came quickly up to the support of Garnett's men...and when they halted at the stone wall General Armistead, drawing his sword for the first time, placed his hat in its point, and raising it as he sprang over the wall, cried, 'Boys, we must use the cold steel; who will follow me?'...He fell 33 yards from General Webb's line on the Ridge...Longstreet's whole assaulting column found itself within a vortex of fire, through which it was impossible to advance and difficult to retreat. Thousands fell dead or wounded...." Boldly penned and signed. Occasional edge chipping and small tears with small paper loss of no affect; light general toning; occasional light even discoloration and soiling of minimal affect; else text remains dark and easily legible. VG. This letter is published in Bachelder Papers, 3 Volumes, Ladd and Sauers, 1995.