American Historical Ephemera & Photography, Featuring Property from the James Milgram, M.D., Collection of Broadsides, Ephemeral Americana & Historical Documents

4 pages, approx. 5 x 8 in., creased, few blemishes to back page.

General Rice writes to his friend identified only as "My dear Isaac," thanking him first for taking notice of a report on his conduct in the Evening Post. He writes, "I did my duty in the engagement at Hanover Court House as a Massachusetts man always does his duty - that is, by going into a fight, with the intention, and the express understanding that somebody will - yes - must be hurt. It gave me great pleasure to hurt somebody on that day in the severe struggle - at least - I gave the rebel lines twelve rounds from my pistols and fifty from a musket, besides attending strictly to other small duties, resting upon a Colonel of a regiment on such an occasion. In a word my dear Isaac, I went into that engagement, with my whole soul, determined to gain a victory of die in the attempt, and we whipped the rascals after two hours of hard - terrible hard fighting."  

Rice goes on to make predictions about the war, writing, "Genl McClellan is collecting a great force here. Beauregard I think is at Richmond with 20 to 30,000 troops. We shall 'bag' them this time. it may take six weeks to do it, but it is a sure thing. This is a rough letter, but it is written in the field, in sight of the enemy, in a very hot day, so excuse the style..."

Rice's belief that McClellan would soon take Richmond would not come true, as McClellan withdrew the following month. The very day this letter was written, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart started his four-day ride around McClellan's Army of the Potomac on the peninsula. He returned to Richmond on 15 June 1862. It would be General Grant who would eventually successfully take the Confederate capital city, nearly two years after Rice's bold prediction.

James Clay Rice (1829-1864) commanded the 44th New York in the Peninsula campaign and at Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, his valiance earning him a promotion to brigadier general. While leading a brigade in Wadsworth's division at Spotsylvania, Rice received a serious wound, and would die from complications resulting from the amputation of his leg.