47051: Confederate John W. Davis, 40th Virginia Infantr

Confederate John W. Davis, 40th Virginia Infantry, Autograph Letter Signed "John W. Davis." Three pages of a bifolium, 5" x 8", Fredericksburg, Virginia; November 1, 1861. Davis would be wounded at the Battle of Gaines' Mill in June 1862. In this letter, Davis writes to his mother about a spy in camp: "…On last Monday night when I returned from F. I heard that a spy had just passed through our camp, having crossed over at Mathias' point, on his way from Washington to report to General Holmes. He reported that he had seen the general order issued at Washington ordering a fleet of 70 vessels with 65,000 troops and all that their equipments for marching to land at Nomony Bluffs in Westmoreland on that or the next night, and march around in the rear of the (supposed) batteries at Mathias of 18 guns, take them, and there advance on up the river taking the batteries all along, and there to proceed from here 'on to Richmond'…Gen. H having recognized him as a true spy, on Tuesday morning our Reg. crossed over Potomac Creek and marched about 1 1/2 miles where we are still bivouacking having left our tents and clothes and most of our cooking utensils for want of transportation, out in the woods near the camp of the 2nd N.C. Reg. and within 2 miles of Mr. Cotton's house….the balance of the great northern fleet having left Fort Monroe outwards this morning. Some reliable Marylanders who crossed over at Evansport the other day say that Gen. Sickles has opposite Evansport 15,000 troops and they counted 85 pieces of artillery…" The letter has been folded so as to serve as its own cover, with a Jefferson Davis image affixed above the address. Condition: Mail folds with soiling, foxing, and toning. Multiple horizontal separations. Pencil notations in another hand on verso. HID03101062020 © 2020 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved