Civil War Letter – 16th Maine Infantry, July 9, 1863, Gettysburg Campaign

Civil War Letter – 16th Maine Infantry, July 9, 1863, South Mountain During the Gettysburg Campaign
 
This outstanding original letter was written by Lieut. William H. Broughton of the 16th Maine Infantry on July 9, 1863, while the regiment lay in line of battle on South Mountain, Maryland, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg. The multi-page letter is written in clear, legible ink and provides a vivid firsthand account of the regiment’s movements and the physical toll of the campaign.
 
Broughton describes marching through the South Mountain gap (site of the 1862 battle), constructing breastworks of stone walls, and the regiment’s hard marching. He details a personal bout of illness that left him “pretty well used up,” riding in an ambulance, and rejoining his unit amid cannon fire on July 1. He notes that by July 9 the 16th Maine had been reduced to just 41 men present for duty—a stark testament to the devastating casualties the regiment suffered on the first day at Gettysburg, where it helped anchor the Union line near the Railroad Cut.
 
This is a strong content letter from the immediate post-Gettysburg period, written by an officer of the hard-fighting 16th Maine Infantry (1st Corps). Letters from this regiment describing the campaign and its aftermath with specific casualty figures are highly desirable. An excellent addition to any 16th Maine, First Corps, or Gettysburg collection.
 
Dear Father,
July 9th, 1863
 
We are lying on top of South Mountain in line of battle. We came through the gap, where the battle of South Mountain was fought last year, yesterday afternoon and formed a line of battle in the woods. Just as soon as we stacked arms we were ordered to throw up a breastwork, which we did, & before many minutes a long line of stone wall could be traced through the woods. It looks to me as rather a strange proceeding on our part and throwing up breast works. I should not be surprised if our Corps laid here to hold this gap. Most of the army is ahead of us. for about one week I was pretty well used up. We had been marching pretty hard, and one day it had rained pretty hard, and when we got into camp, I had to be detailed as Lieut. of the Brigade Guard, which kept me up most of the night, and the next morning had to march, although it was an easy days march. I had hard work to keep up. It was our Regt's turn to go on picket and we had to travel about five miles. After getting out there I laid myself down and had a nights sleep. And as the troops did not move until the middle of the afternoon, I had pretty good rest but lost considerable by being sick. We had just got into the land of milk & honey, and if the boys did not live there, I am no judge, anything they wanted they could get with or without money, it made no difference. The citizens had never seen but a few soldiers, and our regiment being on picket had the advantage of the rest, but 1 am running off from my sick spell at 8 P.M. We broke out the picket line and moved back to where we left the brigade, but there was no brigade there.
They had left about the middle of the afternoon. As the old saying is, a stern chase is a long one, and we found it so. I got a pass from the colonel to fall out, but I did not like the idea of being left in the rear of the army. It was after three o'clock when we stopped. We did not get more than an hours sleep before we took up the line of march. I just took myself with bag and baggage and boarded an ambulance, and it was lucky I did so, for our Corps marched good smart 27 miles. In the space of 24 hours our Regt passed over 40 miles after getting in where the Reg was. I went to the Dr. and asked him to do something for me. He told me to take a wet towel and lay it on my breast that night. When I woke all was a reaking sweat.
Come to think of it, it was one day later I took the sweat. Anyway, on the morning of the first of July, I got into the ambulance and laid down, but pretty quick I heard cannonading on ahead and when stopped left my blankets, slung my sword too me and started on after the Regt, but just then they started off on the double quick. I could not go that (fast) any way, so
(1) sat down a few minutes, and as the shell commenced to fly pretty thick I concluded to go to the rear, which 1 did. On the fifth, feeling pretty smart, I joined the Reg and am now in pretty good condition. Our Reg now numbers 41 men for duty.
Lieut. W.H. Broughton