AN EXTRAORDINARY LETTER (MILITARY--CIVIL WAR.) EMILIO, LOUIS F. Twelve page letter sent to Captain Luis Emilio from fellow soldier and close friend Daniel Anson Sanger, Lieutenant 2nd class. 12 pages, written on three 4to leaves, each folded to form four pages; with the original addressed envelope, with two 3 cent stamps, mailed from Lowell, Mass, on October 24, 1863. Camp, second Mass Infantry, near Stafford, C.H. Virginia, May 30th 1863
a warm, and extraordinarily detailed letter, to luis emilio, captain of the 54th massachusetts volunteer regiment. Emilio's close friend wrote this long letter in pieces, beginning in May, in the field in Virginia, and mailing it in October, while on medical leave in Lowell Massachusetts. "Allow me to congratulate you on your advancement in the military line. . . this is what I have long wished to see, colored men fighting for their liberty, and helping with their strong arms, the continuance of ours. . . "He describes his wound, and explains the long delay in replying ". . .You see at that time we had just returned from Chancellorsville . . . when we were suddenly ordered off, and were on the move more or less from that time until the battle of Gettysburg, not once pitching our tents during that time. . ." He describes his visit home and how he visited with Emilio's mother and sister--obviously quite smitten with the latter. "I know that I was most pleased to see her and I think she was well pleased to see me. I wanted Capt. Smith to tell me the particulars of the charge of your regiment on Fort Wagner, but I didn't see him but for a few moments. That was a desperate affair, and must have fully proved the mettle of your men. I think Luis, you are one of the lucky ones as we have a few like you in our Regt. in that respect---they never have been hit, and have been in all our engagements. Our fight at Gettysburg was I think the sternest fight we have had, though the loss was not greater than it has been several times before, we went into action with two hundred ninety (290) and came out with 125 men---in my company there were thirty-five and after the fight ten men-many who were wounded have since died; we got so close to the enemy that every shot that hit was severe---we were right in among them (as) I believe you were at Wagner. Many people are dissatisfied with the results of the Gettysburg battle because Meade did not totally destroy or capture Lee's army-we drove them back the whole length of the line---they fell back in pretty good order---I believe-it had been a desperate encounter and we had taken long fatiguing marches before the engagement-both parties were pretty well used up. They had a little advantage in numbers . . . Don't be revengeful and not write me because I neglected you for so long a time. . . your friend Dan'l." Emilio was the author of "A Brave Black Regiment, the history of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Regiment.
