This letter was written by Captain (later Brig. Gen.) James S. Brisbin of the U.S. Army 6th Cavalry (Regulars).  THIS LETTER IS 4 FULL PAGES OF FIRST HAND CAVALRY FIGHTING AND ESCAPE!  Brisbin would continue on shortly after this letter was written to win honors at Beverly Ford, Va. and led the Pennsylvania State Cavalry at Gettysburg.  He was eventually selected by Lincoln to organize Negro units in the Union army from newly freed slaves.  After the Civil War, he was a noted Indian fighter who participated in Custer’s last campaign.

Brisbin was about 25 years old when our letter was written.  The day after it was written, Stonewall Jackson died from wounds he received in this campaign.  Brisbin was born in Boalsburg, Pennsylvania in 1838.  In April of 1861, he became 2nd Lieutenant of the 1st Dragoons.  On July 21st, 1861, he was wounded twice at the battle of Bull Run.  He then was appointed Captain in the 6th Cavalry in August of ’61, served in the Peninsula Campaign in 1862 and served under General Pleasanton in the Blue Ridge Mountains expedition of 1863.  One of Don Stiver’s paintings features members of the 6th U.S. Cavalry at Fairfield, Pa., July 3rd, 1863, where one of them won the Medal of Honor. 

The letter is written on blue stationary in nice dark ink and is in fine condition.  Brisbin is writing to his wife a long detailed “adventure” letter.  He signs it “Jim”… there is no question as to the last name as it came from a grouping of Brisbin letters that was broken up back in the ‘60’s.  This one was kept in our archives because it was one of the finest firsthand Cavalry action letters that we have seen! 

·         “At 4 o’clock the Rebels opened with canon.  Averill engaged him and Stoneman with the main

     body of his Cavalry almost ten thousand strong pushed on.”

·         “…daylight when a furious fight took place between the 10th New Jersey Cavalry and the 5th U.S.

     Cavalry.  The 5th took the 10th for Rebels… The 1st also had a fight in the night but whipped the
Rebels and drove them a mile in the dark.”

·          “…at 11 o’clock reached the Rapidan River.  Stuart had been there the night before and left and he
would fight us.  Stoneman drew up and waited 3 hours for him but no Stuart came…”

·         “On the 2nd, marched all day, plundered all the houses along the road, took all the horses and had
plenty of everything but did not dare build fires to cook it.  We cut the Rail Road and destroyed 7
miles of the track.”

·         “We were now directly behind the Rebel Army and could hear Hooker fighting in front.  The 3rd
and 4th we spent in burning houses, taking horses and fighting.”

·         “Lee whipped a portion of the 5th but when we came up he run and we followed him 4 miles at a
hard gallop.”

·          “On the 5th we marched all night hard and it rained.  This was the hardest night I ever spent. 
Men would fall off their horses asleep.  Horses died every ten rods and as fast as they fell were
knocked in their head with axes.  The men were drove along on foot with naked sabers drawn
over them and some fell down from fatigue.  We had no wagons and left them laying by the road
side.  It was now life or death.”

·         “Our column was 4 miles long and it was almost impossible to drag our heavy canon through the
mud which was knee deep… The water was deep and took the horses up to the ears… It was cold
and we did not dare make fires for we did not want to let the enemy know where we were.”

·         “The night was cold and wet and the men suffered terribly, but worst of all our poor wounded who
we were carrying along tied on horses.  Some died in the night.”

·         “The Rebel Infantry were now within 2 miles of us and coming on.  Mind, we had no sleep for 2
nights and many of us had not tasted victuals for 48 hours.  The 5th Cav. and the 2 Cav. with 3
squadrons of the 6th went back to engage the advancing enemy in the dark…”

·         “At the first peep of the day the 1st Cav. plunged into the River and crossed.  The men clung to the
saddles and the horses swam.  By 10 o’clock the Cavalry was all over except the Pickets who were
fighting with the enemy who were not again advancing.  The Pickets broke off the river and saw
over.  The enemy only got a few of them.”

A wonderful letter for the Cavalry, “Generals” or “Regulars” collector! 

#S54 - Price $735

Transcription:

Taken from the book, Generals In Blue, by Ezra J. Warner (page 35):