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RICHARDSON, ISRAEL B.

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RICHARDSON, ISRAEL B.
(1815 - 1862) Union major general who fought with distinction in the Mexican War, covered the Union retreat at First Bull Run, fought at the Peninsula, Seven Pines, and Antietam where he was mortally wounded. Excessively rare fine content A.L.S. "I. B. Richardson" and signed again in the address area, 4pp. 4to., Mexico City, Apr. 1-7, 1848 to his father reporting on the state of affairs in occupied Mexico City. In part: "…much interest heretofore owing to the temporary cessation of hostilities…I attend [the Court of Inquiry] regularly…Gen. [Gideon] Pillow's case is getting a good deal under the weather…I was invited to dine with Gen. [Winfield] Scott today…I shall send [proceedings of the Court] every time the mail goes…I send you also a full list of the officers who entered the valley of Mexico, showing when & where engaged…If the retired list should pass Congress this Winter, all three of us would be promoted…Although I am in doubt if we shall have peace soon, still I think our fighting is about over. A column of 3,000 of the old troops could now march to any part of the country…Today the Mexican people hold their Elections…in the morning after leaving their sins at the door of the temple, in the afternoon [they] attend Bull fights…Santa Anna has been allowed to leave the country by the Commander in Chief of our Army and he embarked a few days since at Vera Cruz for Havana…The Volunteers almost always disgrace the Service…The Second Pennsylvania Regt. Volunteers was one of those Regts. which ran so disgracefully at Cerro Gordo…not an officer of it was to be found…you can speak of it to anyone you please…". A sharp difference between Pillow and Winfield Scott led to Pillow's court martial for insubordination, a charge of which he was later cleared. Some archival tape repairs largely undertaken to fill a seal hole and some marginal chipping which affects just a few words of text, some cross-writing, overall very good.