204

Civil & Indian Wars Archive of Juston Rust, 2nd N.Y. Cavalry

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Militaria Start Price:1,800.00 USD Estimated At:2,500.00 - 3,500.00 USD
Civil & Indian Wars Archive of Juston Rust, 2nd N.Y. Cavalry

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2009 Jun 24 @ 10:00 (UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT)
Location:6270 Este Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio, 45232, United States
also known as the Harris light Cavalry. This lot includes a small 12mo leather bound diary printed for the year 1864, carte de visite; 15 documents. The diary is inscribed on front page Juston Rust Comp. M, Harris Lgt. Cavalry and the entries begin in winter camp at Brandy Station, Va. Several entries dealing with battles including the following dated Sunday Oct. 9, 1864 We had a fight at Fiskes Hill_Captured 6 pieces of artillery and 100 prisoners, a severe cavalry fight. There are entries for most days of the year, including other battle accounts. Lot also includes an anonymous albumen cdv portrait of Juston in uniform with his M1860 cavalry saber in hand. Named in honor of Sen. Ira Harris of Albany, Harris’ Light Cavalry, the 2nd New York Cavalry, was organized at Scarsdale during the summer 1861 and over the course of four years’ service, earned one of the most illustrious records in the Army of the Potomac. A nineteen year old from Plattsburg, Judson Rust enlisted on September 1, 1861 and served with the 2nd until it mustered out in June 1865, earning a promotion to bugler in August 1864. The 2nd Cavalry lost heavily during Pope’s Campaign in the late summer 1862 and again before and after Gettysburg, losing almost 50 at Aldie alone, with equal losses later in the year at Liberty Mills and Buckland Mills. During the summer of 1864, the period covered by Rust’s diary, the regiment took part in Wilson’s raid on the South Side and Danville Railroads and it fought in the Shenandoah Campaign when the tide was finally turned against the Confederates. Rust describes an engagement in typically concise fashion: July 18: This morning we received marching orders this morning and started on the march. We went through snickers gap and crossed the shenadora and about 4 oclock fighting commenced. Fought untill dark and the revels drove us across the River. A good many killed and wounded. A pretty hard fight. There is also a mention of the momentous Battle of Fishers Hill on October 9. Rust’s pocket diary contains brief notes entered almost daily for brief periods, but he was typically more sporadic, particularly during his illness in May and in the latter half of the year. There is some information on the whereabouts of the regiment and their activities. The 2nd N.Y. Cavalry is one of the 300 fighting regiments mentioned by Col. Fox, and ranks eighth in the list of mounted regiments which lost the most men killed and fatally wounded in action during the Civil War. Lot includes printed unit history. The small collection includes 15 attractive documents relating to Rust’s continued service in the military after the Civil War, when he saw duty in the Indian wars in the west. Among these are two handsome discharges on vellum, 1876 and 1882, issued when Rust was serving in the Department of the Platte and at Fort Douglas Utah, respectively; and two documents issued while Rust was serving at Fort Sanders, Wyoming, 1880, and probably printed there. There are three additional special orders issued in the Dept. of the Platte, a brief letter from Uinta Co., Wyo., 1878; and four larger vellum documents appointing Rust as corporal, sergeant, and sergeant major in the 4th Infantry, 1871-1876. These are unusually attractive examples, suitable for display, with the last two having the added value of being signed at the famous Fort Bridger, Wyo. The diary is also accompanied by a fine (though soiled and clipped) carte de visite of Rust in uniform, posed dramatically with his sabre. Expected wear and age, but an interesting assortment of materials spanning the Civil War and Indian wars. 

Condition: Diary has minor soil, as does the cdv, both VG.