134

"I never seen dead men lay so thick as the Rebels did."

John Clemence.

Letters describing Second Bull Run and Antietam.

Various places, 5 and 23 September 1862
Two Autograph Letters (one signed) to mother Sarah Clemence. Each 4 pages, about 8 x 5 inches, on a folding sheet of illustrated letterhead; minor wear.

John Clemence (1841-1882) was born in Canada, and was a salt packer in Geddes, NY near Syracuse when he enlisted in the 14th United States Infantry in November 1861. During this period, his regiment was in General Fitz John Porter's V Corps, in its Second Division under General George Sykes.

The first of these letters was written near Washington on illustrated General McClellan "The Hope of the Nation" letterhead printed in blue and red. He writes early in the Maryland Campaign as Lee launched his first invasion of the north: "We are all ready now for some other place, but I don't know where. We got orders to be ready at a minute's notice. . . . The Rebels are now at Harper's Ferry. . . . It is likely that we will have another battle with them before many days." He then describes the recent Second Battle of Bull Run: "We was about 6 rods from the Rebels. They were in the woods and we were on the roads. They hollowed to us that they were Rebel prisoners but we seen there flag and seen them forming there line of battle. They tryed to deceive us, but . . . we gave them the first volley wich cut them down like a schythe cutting grass. That's were there was slaughter, and that's were we lost so many out of company. . . . There were fighting all over, men running here and there, trying to avoid the shells and balls. Some of the men had there heads blowed of with shells . . . some with leg off, more with there arms of, and so on. It was a hard sight to see. I never want to see the like again." After sharing this gruesome account with his mother, the rather clueless Clemence replies to his mother's own bad news: "I would rather that you woulden't send me such bad news of you being unwell and your eyes being sore, for it makes me feel very bad."

His second letter was written from Sharpsburg, MD, six days after Antietam, on letterhead with a full-page lithograph of Camp Hamilton at Fortress Monroe. Again, we find more gory detail than usual for a soldier's letter to his mother. He describes the march to meet Lee's army, and then the resulting battle: "We lost a lot of men, but not near so many as the Rebels did. I have seen dead men lay thick on the battlefield, but I never seen dead men lay so thick as the Rebels did that day. . . . Our men charged bayonets on them, and they run, and our men after them, and put the bayonet through every one of them. Some of the Rebels was hanging over the fences dead were they were runing, and our men pined them to the fence. They were so thick that we had to pick our steps to get over them. . . . We escaped very lucky this time. The musket balls flying around like hailstone and shells bursting around us. I don't know how we got safe." This letter is unsigned but apparently complete. 

Clemence later was wounded in the abdomen at Gettysburg and was discharged with an invalid pension. He returned to Geddes, married, and raised a family.

  • Condition: Please contact the Specialist for the auction to request a condition report.

    Condition reports and additional images are provided as a courtesy and should be used by you to aid in the formation of your own opinion regarding condition. All material is sold subject to Swann's standard Terms and Conditions of Sale as published in our catalogues and posted on our website, and include the following terms: (1) all property is sold "as-is"; and (2) works cannot be returned on the basis of condition.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Upon request, Swann will facilitate the shipping of purchases to out-of-town buyers at an additional charge for packing, shipping and insurance, but will not be responsible for any loss, damage or delay resulting from the packing, handling and shipping thereof. Unless specific instructions are received, Swann is the sole judge of the method to be used for shipment. Packing and shipping costs will be noted on the invoice mailed to successful bidders after the sale, and are based on the actual costs involved. Be advised that a full commercial invoice must accompany any purchase shipped outside the US.

Swann Auction Galleries

You agree to pay a buyer’s premium, as outlined below, and any applicable taxes and shipping.
Buyer's Premium
$0 - $100,000:
27.00%
$100,001 - $1,000,000:
22.00%
$1,000,001+:
12.00%

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $149 $10
$150 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $5,999 $200
$6,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,000
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 $499,999 $20,000
$500,000 + $50,000