27th Virginia (Stonewall Brigade) Confederate Letter Written on Captured “Yankee Paper” (A Beautiful Patriotic Sheet) along with Captured Union Patriotic Cover! – Mentions the Incident of “Brother Fighting Brother”, the 1st Maryland CS Meeting the 1st Maryland US!
This letter and envelope have long been our favorite set of Confederate captured and used stationery. It is very colorful and the writer is from the famous Stonewall Brigade. Although the letter is unsigned, there is clear I.D. written on the envelope: “A. S. Wade, Co. H 27th Regt. Va. Vol.” Algernon Sidney Wade was a resident of Lexington, Virginia. His sister married David Lawrence Hopkins who served on the staff of the 27th Virginia (the envelope is addressed to “Mrs. David L. Hopkins, Lexington, Rockbridge, Virginia”). The Civil War Database records that David died of typhoid fever and is buried in Stonewall Jackson Cemetery in Lexington.
This wonderful cover and letter originally came from a philatelic auction. A Confederate captured and used Union patriotic envelope with a clear I.D. and postal markings is a rarely encountered item. There is a manuscript “Due 5” along with an excellent “Staunton, Va. Jun. 3, 1862” cancellation. While often envelopes like this are incomplete and torn, this one is in fine condition.
The 4-page letter is written in nice dark ink on 5 x 8-inch stationery with a blue engraving of a Union Infantryman standing beside a U. S. flag and several rows of tents behind him. Private Wade has put a “X” on the Infantryman and has written at the top, “Yankee paper”.
Here is the content:
- New Town, Va. May 25, 1862. Dear Sister, I avail myself of this opportunity of dropping you a few lines to inform you that we are still in the land of the living and am still pushing onward.
- I got into town last night very much fatigued and worn out after a march of about nineteen miles. We came from Front Royal.
- THE FIRST MARYLAND REGT. (C.S.) MET THE FIRST MARYLAND REGT. (U.S.) & AFTER A QUITE SHARP SKIRMISH BETWEEN THEM, OUR REGT. CAPTURED THE WHOLE YANKEE REGT.
- THIS WAS AT FRONT ROYAL. WE HAVE TAKEN ABOUT FOUR CO.S OF CAVALRY WITH HORSES AND ACCOUTREMENTS. IT IS SUPPOSED THAT WE HAVE NOT LESS THAN FIFTEEN HUNDRED PRISONERS AND PROBABLY MANY THOUSANDS AS IT IS REPORTED HERE TODAY THAT THE YANKEES AT WINCHESTER HAVE ALL SURRENDERED.
- I have no idea what the number is. It seems that Genl. Ewell’s Division has cut off their retreat below Winchester. We are below Winchester pursuing them. We have taken two pieces of rifle cannon, a car load of commissary stores, etc. and about one hundred wagons, very heavily ladened with provisions and Yankee plunder and also horses & mules attached to the wagons.
- A GREAT MANY OF THE WAGONS WERE UPSET, THE HORSES RUNNING OFF AND TEARING THINGS TO PIECES GENERALLY. IT IS A COMPLETE ROUT.
- THEY HAVE DESTROYED A NUMBER OF THE WAGONS BY SETTING THEM ON FIRE, SOME OF THE FIRES WERE EXTINGUISHED BEFORE GOING FAR, BUT A GREAT MANY WERE BURNT, BUT IT IS A GRAND VICTORY.
- We have lost comparatively few. In fact, the loss is not very heavy on either side. A GREAT MANY YANKEE HORSES WERE KILLED.
- I have not seen Thos. (Thomas M. Wade, Jr., 1st Rockbridge Light Artillery) since yesterday but don’t think that he was in the fight as there were but three pieces of his battery ordered up & he does not belong to either of them. Horace (Horace M. Wade, Co. I, 12th Va. Cavalry) I have not seen since he left us. Don’t suppose he has reported as yet. If he has not, tell him not to be in a hurry. I am at Mr. Rusmessell who married a Bear, a cousin of mine, who is very kind to me. I have not been well for the last two or three days. It is principally cold, I think.
- I think that everything is going wrong if I am not with the Co., and will try and catch up and do my best. I will go this evening or in the morning at all events, sick or well. We have been traveling so much that it has completely used me right up, feel as if I was about forty years old.
Wade used up every inch of paper, so it is a great blessing that we have his full I.D. on the cover. The only letter that we have owned mentioning the famous “brother fighting brother” …the two 1st Maryland regiments! Condition very fine.
#L5-25-62VA – Price $1,500
