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(CONFEDERATE LETTERS WITH MAP)

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(CONFEDERATE LETTERS WITH MAP)
A fine group of three Confederate soldier's letters and one partial letter, 7pp. Total, all written by R.M. Rucker, written to his mother in Tennesee, though letters written previous to the war indicate that he attended the University of Virginia in 1849, and may therefore have fought with a unit there. One of the letters describes an artillery engagement in virginia, and comes with a map at bottom illustrating the units positions.The letters read, in part:"…In line of battle,June 29, 1864…Dear mother…By the faith of a kind providence, I am safe and unhurt up to present date, although having been under heavy skirmish fire ever since the first of May. Pink E., West Rucker and Locke Weakley are also unhurt…Billy Wilkenson (1st Tenn)and John Phillips were both severely wounded two days ago[probably Kennessaw Mountain]…Tell Mrs. Betty that Lieut. Bettyis hearty and well, he came to se med today…Nov. 1…I am willing to go half naked , eat parched corn and nothing else, for the sake of the noble cause in which we are engaged…Yesterday evening on hearing some firing of cannon down at theriver, I went down…on a hill…the enemy had planted two pieces of artillery on the bank oposite one of our batteries…they would shoot and come near their object, sometimes and at others fall short. We fired some four or five shots at them , the ball sometimes gooing way over into Maryland. When they would shoot at us …our boys would holler and shout. At the same time, a pretty considerable fleet was to be seen both above and below our batteries. They look like they want this pass very bad, but areafraid to venture forth. They are all a pack of cowards…". Underneath Ruckers draws a small map detailing thepositions of the artillery on the opposing sides of the river. In yet another letter Ruckers writes:" My dear mother, I take the present opportunity of writing you by flag of truce, would have written you sooner, but for the interruption of mail…Came out of Tenn all safe…am now returning to my command, which is about Columbia, S.C. …will have to walk most of the way on foot. My old mess have all left me now…West R. and Ferguson have goneto cavalry, Pink Ed…did not come out as I did, in fact he may not have come out at all. I doubt whether I wd pursue the same course if I were back…cme through Macon, Ga…to see Mr. Betty…but he was goup to impress some negroes for government use…did not come back in time to see him…". With research, the unit of this soldier should be identifiable. Very good.