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419

CIVIL LETTERS, 1ST MASS. CAVALRY.

Currency:USD Category:Everything Else / Other Start Price:NA Estimated At:200.00 - 300.00 USD
CIVIL LETTERS, 1ST MASS. CAVALRY.
CIVIL LETTERS, 1ST MASS. CAVALRY. James C. Correspondence from a soldier in 1st Massachusetts Cavalry Band, 1862-1864. 8 letters. Raised in eastern Massachusetts, the 1st Massachusetts Cavalry was a typical, highly active regiment in the eastern theatre. The soldier who wrote these 8 letters, identified only as James C., was a member of the regimental band (his instrument and his name, he withholds). The collection includes some nice letters describing camp life and conditions, as when James complains of having to move out their winter quarters just after they had settled in: "We had a cat to catch the rats which were pretty numerous and she had three kittens which were just getting large enough to play when we left them but we have the pledge of Mrs. Smiths nigger that they shall be well cared for and brought up in good shape." In another incident, angry about the band not being fully mounted, he described a scene that many of us have experienced: "we were out serenading last night and two thirds of the band were crazy drunk we could not play and when they tried to it sound hideous it beat anything in the shape of brass band music that I ever heard. The last piece they attempted to play was one complete fumble when the piece was finished or at least when they got through playing each began swearing at the other for making mistakes..." The letters are not long on combat, however he provides an affecting description of the aftermath of Malvern Hill, where he witnessed a man shot through the bowels who had been married just the winter before: "When you read in the papers the list of the killed and wounded you can begin to realize the conditions and circumstances of all those men and that they have friends at home who will feel as badly as you ever could in case it was my lot to fall." During the Petersburg Campaign, he wrote "I can hear very heavy cannonading this morning in the direction of Petersburg but it is not I think as far as that. The cavalry corps will all be on this die of the river by tomorrow morning and then we shall go marching off again... bound on a raid into North Carolina to destroy railroads flourmills &c." A nice collection with some humorous and interesting content; expected age toning and wear but good throughout. PLEASE NOTE: THIS LOT WILL BE SOLD ON EBAY LIVE AUCTIONS BETWEEN 5:00-6:00pm EASTERN DAYLIGHT TIME ON MAY 10, 2002. REGISTER NOW TO BID LIVE ONLINE THE DAY OF THE SALE! (EST 200-300)
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