Stampless Covers - Mississippi
16014

Item# 16014

Price: $450

CORINTH / MISS. // FEB / 24 [1862] DOUBLE-LINE CIRCLE cancel (much scarcer than the single-line cancel), beautifully struck with matching clear bold PAID 5 in oval (CC Type C) on 3-page folded soldier’s letter in pencil, few small holes in the letter itself but not on the cover face; addressed to Julia A. Sanderson, Vaiden, Miss; the letter is simply signed “A,” who was undoubtedly A. J. Sanderson. It mentions pitching a tent outside of town and an artillery corps from New Orleans that is camped 50 paces away. Ex Boshwit. $450.  ARTICLE

Julia A. Sanderson (1839-1917) had a private school in her home east of the railroad in Vaiden. Later she taught in a building on the hill where B.W. Holmes' home now stands. She also taught in the Vaiden Public School.

Alexander J. Sanderson (1825-1902) served in Company L, 1st Mississippi Light Artillery (AKA Vaiden Artillery), Higgins’ Brigade Maury’s Corps, Army of the Gulf, as 1st Lieutenant, mustered in for 3 years as of 18 Jan 1862. He tendered his resignation in 1862 due to no male member of his family available, a number of negroes hired, and a large medical practice and the field not at present supplied, etc. Post-war, he practiced medicine in Vaiden; before the war, he was in medical practice for ten years. However, although it indicates that resignation was accepted, there are copious amounts of military records after that date and is clearly the same man. He was on a list of paroled and exchanged officers from Vicksburg and Port Hudson in Enterprise, Mississippi, 15 Dec 1863. Took Oath of Allegiance 15 May 1865.

Company E, 1st Regt., Mississippi Light Artillery, was organized at Vaiden in November, 1861. It was organized as Company L., but the designation was changed to Company E. on March 6, 1865. It was not assigned duty in the field until February, 1862. The company, when ordered to the front, encamped until the battle of Shiloh near Corinth. The government could not furnish them the necessary equipment for the full battery, having no horses, and not enough guns. When the battle of Shiloh was to be fought, although General Ruggles reported Bain's Battery was not ready for full service, Lt. A.J. Sanderson, with a sufficient detachment from the Vaiden Artillery to man two guns, joined the Stanford Battery of Grenada men, which was weakened by sickness of their men, and was in the hottest of the fight at Shiloh.

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