Amazing CIVIL WAR UNION SOLDIER LETTER 19th OHIO INF - Battles & TRADING w/REBS!

Description

This is an outstanding original Civil War Union Soldier letter written from the trenches of the Atlanta Campaign in 1864!  It is in period brown ink and easily read, the paper is very stable with no tears and shows typical aging with light folds; the cover is damaged from opening and is as shown.
The author was 28 yr-old Henry (“Hank”) Raubenstine [Robenstine] (1836-1916), the son of Samuel Raubenstine (1804-1871) and Priscilla Dennius (1792-1871) of Stark county, Ohio.
Henry was married on 3 March 1864 to Nancy L. Britton (1831-1877) and despite whatever differences the couple may have had at the time this letter was written three months after their marriage, they remained married after the war and raised at least three children together.  A year after Nancy’s death, Henry married his second wife, Martha Covey (1843-1911) who bore him six more children. A farmer by profession, Henry left Ohio for Amoy, Hillside county, Michigan, in the late 1860s and remained there the rest of his life.
The letter was sent to his brother-in-law, Michael Fox (1817-1891), who took Hank’s younger sister, Eliza Ann Robenstine (1842-1925) as his second wife.
Hank had enlisted in the 19th Ohio Volunteer Infantry (OVI) first for 3 mos at age 25 on April 27, 1861.  He then re-enlisted in the same regiment for 3 yrs on Sept 10, 1861 and served in Co A till the end of the war, mustering out on Oct 24, 1865.
At the time of his writing, the 19th OVI was encamped near Marietta, Georgia and he describes the recent fighting as well as the way they interacted with the Confederate pickets across the lines!  Awesome content from a front-line infantryman!!
The letter was found in a Civil War patriotic envelope addressed to Hank’s father and postmarked November which is clearly not the same envelope the letter was mailed in but as it was how the letter was kept all these years, it stays as part of the item.
As the owner, I shared this letter for web publication a couple yrs ago and it is viewable at one of William Griffing's excellent blogs which is found at:
https://sparedandshared19.wordpress.com/2019/09/20/1864-henry-raubenstine-to-michael-fox/ -- his research is outstanding and I am most appreciative of his help!
TRANSCRIPTION
Camp near Marietta, Georgia
June 3rd 1864
Dear brother-in-law,
Having received your letter several days ago, I will now make a brief reply. Under the present circumstances, folks at home must excuse short letters as we are and have labored under a hard and long campaign and the hardest I think is yet to come. At present, we are perhaps five hundred yards from the rebs main works. Two days ago we made an assault on their works but we were repulsed with heavy loss. How soon we will attempt it again, I know not, but I think if we make another charge on them that we will make them come under for we are not to be unsuccessful in every attempt we make.
Since I wrote to you, we have had some rough and hard fighting but we made our points and cleaned the rebs. We made one charge at night and drove them one mile with scarcely any loss on our side.
I will tell you how we get along here with the rebels when we are on picket. Our pickets and the rebs pickets are only a few rods apart—each party having their picket station fortified so none is exposed to any fire. When we are on picket and don’t want to shoot at them, we tell them so. Then if both sides agree, why we set down our guns and they do the same. Then we commence trading with the rebs. We trade coffee and crackers with them for tobacco and soon after we get tired of trading, we sit together and talk the same as though we were some relation. Sometimes, or about two times a day, we have a fall out with them when we get mad at them. Why we call out to them, “Hunt your holes for we are going to shoot.” Then as soon as they get in their works and after that, if we see any of them poke up their heads, why we shoot at them and keep it up till we make another compromise with them.
When they get made at us, then they call out, “Yanks, hunt your holes for we are going to shoot awhile. Then of course we return the compliment. One thing is when we are talking with them, we never fire before we give them notice, and they do the same. Sometimes they shoot, then ask us if any of us was hit and so on. We have plenty of fun with them sometimes—that is, till we get mad at one another.
When you get this, write and tell my folks to write more for we can’t write very often now. Please read this to them. I’ll say nothing about my wife for she don’t write to me and hereafter I’ll write no more to her, and I’ll never keep house with her if I get out of the service alright for I have been  humbugged enough with her and some of her friends. I’ll let them know that I ain’t no damn fool—that’s all.
We are well and in good spirits and hope you are all enjoying the same. We may have some hard fighting yet and we may not. There is no telling.
Give my love to your neighbors and to all that may enquire about me. Read this to my folks and tell them not to worry for us. Tell Morris that I saw Alpheus a few hours ago and he is alright.
Direct to Marietta, Georgia
Company A, 19th Reg. OVI
Third Brigade, Third Division, 4th Army Corps
No more. Your brother, — Hank
Write soon.
IMPORTANT: Please ask any questions before bidding (or buying) and view/enlarge all photos for details and condition!! I'm always happy to provide any additional information or pics you might need to the best of my ability.   I always ship carefully just as if I would want to receive the item if I were the winner!
ABOUT ME:  I invite you to take a few minutes and read my excellent feedback ratings so you can buy with confidence.  I'm a trusted eBay seller since 1997 with over 2600 positive comments and counting!!