...But a man is not of much consequence here.

Autograph letter signed by Alva Cole Merrill, Co. K, 154th New York Infantry. Camp halfway between Warrington & Haymarket, [Virginia], 8 November 1862. 4 pages, trimmed 8vo, 4 2/4 x 6 in.

A soldier's letter describing the battlefield of the Second Battle of Bull Run in vivid detail: "Our line of march was over the Bull Run battle ground. I saw some awful sights that afternoon. Shells and cannon balls were scattered all along the road, human hands and arms and skulls and men buried with their face out or their knees out and some that were not buried at all. But a man is not of much consequence here."

The letter was penned by young Alva Cole Merrill (1845-1863), who was just 17 years old when he enlisted into Company K of the 154th New York Infantry on 27 July 1862. He probably enlisted with parental permission as his father, Barzilla Merrill (1818-1863), joined the same company about a month later. This letter was penned early in their enlistment, after they joined the Army of the Potomac and marched through Virginia. Writing to his mother, he references his father Barzilla several times in the letter, commenting on his health: "I don't think he grows poor any lately. He is not lame & does not cough anymore than he did at home."

His letter continues with a description of skirmishing and nearby artillery fire: "Then we passed along through a camp where a regiment of rebel cavalry camped the night before. We passed through Gainesville and Haymarket. This village was pretty much deserted. It has since been burned by Gen. Sigel's order. Then we camped three miles from Thoroughfare Gap. The rebs were trying to get through the gap. We could hear the cannons every minute. General Burnside came with his troops on the other side of the ridge and attacked them and drove them down past the gap. He has taken Warrenton."

Tragically, both son and father would die at the Battle of Chancellorsville, the first major engagement of the 154th New York. Barzilla was killed near Dowdall's Tavern, where remnants of the 11th Army Corps fought to hold off Stonewall Jackson's flank attack. Alva was killed the following morning. 

An excellent soldier's battlefield description.

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