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Civil War–dated ALS signed "J. M. Boroway," four pages on two adjoining sheets, 5 x 8, August 7, 1863. Remarkable handwritten letter from "Wilmington Hospital Ward F," evidently referring to the legendary actions of John L. Burns—a 69-year-old veteran of the War of 1812—who fought as a civilian combatant at Gettysburg, taking up arms alongside Union soldiers to defend his hometown. Wearing a blue coat and carrying an old flintlock musket, Burns fought bravely despite being wounded multiple times. His courage and patriotism captured the nation's imagination, and President Lincoln later visited him during his trip to deliver the Gettysburg Address. The writer, Jacob M. Boroway, enlisted in Company A of the 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry in August 1862, and saw action in the Gettysburg campaign. His account of Burns's heroism—though mistaken in some parts of his biography—is one of the only known contemporary manuscript accounts of his actions at Gettysburg.
In part (spelling and grammar corrected for readability): "I think Meade's army is at Warrington Junction. General Lee that is the Rebel General he has massed his men at Culpeper Court House, ready to show another fight if General Meade intends to fight him there. Then you will hear of another desperate hard and bloody battle again and before long oh brother I do hate to go into another fight for I couldn't tell you on paper and ink how it goes in such hard battles as long as we are fighting still I don't care so much but the sight of seeing the field after the fight, that is the hardest of all to see so many dead men laying on the ground and the wounded hollering and lamenting for help…
I suppose you are aware of it that without war we can't always be according to Scripture. There must be war in this land as well as in any other but this war is one of the hardest wars that ever was known…All of our old officers says that this summer was some of the hardest fighting done that ever was known of before. An old man that lived at Gettysburg aged 67 1/2 years old took his gun and stood in ranks and helped us fight. He used to be a Major General in the Revolutionary War and he said he thought that he had went through some hard fighting but he said his fighting wasn't more than skirmishing towards this fight at Gettysburg. He said that he still thought 2 hours before the battle was over that our boys would have to run and still stood there and fought in the blood for the defense of their country and stuck to it till at last they did gain the day. That old man was astonished to think how brave our men fought and in such good earnest…
We have gained victories always at every place this summer. Vicksburg was a hard knock on them and the Mississippi came back in the Union and our brave boys are fighting those 2 weeks already at Charleston. They have possession of Morris Island and shelling Fort Wagner and they think that they will have Fort Wagner in ten days time and if they have that need, then they soon can have Charleston. Fort Wagner is the only fort that protects Charleston of any account. Let me know what the folks think of the war coming to an end around home. The most of the soldiers think that the Rebs can't hold out much longer. It is true that we have gained great victories this summer but I think that we will have to give great many more before the war will end, but I would love to see the stars and stripes wave high once for time is getting long. I would like to see home again and get something that was fit to eat once again. I will soon have one year in then I will only have two more long years to serve. Brother I can't get a furlough to come home…Brother whatever you do don't enlist. Stay at home for you have it good at home." In fine condition, with toning to intersecting folds.
The Collection of Dr. Joseph Matheu.
