A hard fight and bloody one - such a field I never wish to see another like it. 

Autograph letter signed by Hillary Beyer, Co. A, 90th Pennsylvania Infantry. Camp Near Sharpsburg, Maryland, 6 October 1862. 3 pages, 4to, in pencil.

Referencing the battles of South Mountain and Antietam, he opens: "We have passed through battles with the loss of 4 men - [John] Ruhl, [Augustus M.] Theiss, [George W.] Sutton, and [James H.] Gouldy, & [Albert] Ozias bruised in arm but with the company. I will give you an account of every man that is in the company - present and absent. We have some deserters - men that I expected more from but on the eve of an action, cowards will show themselves such and fall out of line with all kinds of excuse. The last fight, Co. A went on the field with 15 men all told [and] 1 Lieutenant - that is the Battle of Antietam. A hard fight and bloody one - such a field I never wish to see another like it."

He follows with a detailed hand-written roster of Company A as of 30 September 1862. 

Hillary Beyer (1837-1907) enlisted with the 90th Pennsylvania Infantry on 17 September 1861 and was mustered into Company H the same day. The 90th served in the Northern Virginia Campaign, seeing action at the Battles of Cedar Mountain, Second Bull Run, and Chantilly, among others.

Beyer was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant on September 1st, mere weeks before the Battle of Antietam, where the 90th Pennsylvania fought in the Cornfield in support of the Pennsylvania Reserves. During the fray, his command was forced to fall back, but Beyer "remained alone on the line of battle, caring for his wounded comrades and carrying one of them to a place of safety." Action for which he would receive the Medal of Honor. For a complete account of the 90th at Antietam, please see David Welker's "The 90th Pennsylvania Infantry in the Cornfield: 'Solitary and alone, we gave and took our medicine.'" (2016).

Beyer's selfless heroism on the battlefield gives great significance to the carefully prepared roster included here. These were men whom he saw wounded, some of whom he personally ensured their survival. An excellent Antietam document. 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [Medal of Honor, MOH]