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(1824 - 1903) Union colonel in the Army of the Potomac who led the legendary 5th Maine at Gettysburg. A superb, historically important correspondence of over 100 good content war-date letters with covers comprising nearly five hundred pages, by Clark to his wife between June 20, 1861 to June 6, 1864, with many written from the battlefield itself and containing very detailed accounts of fighting, the movement of his regiment, its role within the larger activity of the Army of the Potomac, his relevant political and philosophical opinions, and much more. In very small part: ""[Meridan Hill, June 30, 1861]...Assistant D A Hawkins took the lead...after the presentation of the flag we marched to a grove near the Aster House...Our next stopping place was at Baltimore...The people did not cheer us much there, but look pretty grim...We are now at Meridan Hill...there are one hundred thousand men in camp near here...[July 19, 1861]...there are now in the neighborhood at least seventy five thousand men and tonight there will be one hundred twenty five thousand. Our troops have taken everything they have attacked...Gen. Scott is here...will take command himself...Gen. Howard schooled us this morning...I saw a house burning 1/2 a mile distant ...that was occupied by Gen Bougard [sic] the Rebel Gen yesterday morning. He is now at Manassas...We are expecting the largest battle that ever was...Scott is to command in person on our site Bougard [sic] on the side of the Rebel. It will be a grand affair I reckon...I am expecting a hard time...[Alexandria, July 23, 1861, the Battle of Bull Run]...when we arrived at the field of battle we had less than thirty men fit for duty...but they done better than I expected they fought well while in the engagement there was not a man that retreated, only when ordered...everything went against us...I am sick at heart to think of it...I had a cannon Ball strike directly under my feet one ball struck right by heel of my boots but I came out of the battle safe. I do not know how many men I lost...My head is all confused...[Claremont, Aug. 4, 1861]...Dr. Buxton our surgeon of the Regt is a Prisoner in the Rebel Army but will get back on our exchange...Isaac...was killed at Bulls Run our company I think marched over his dead body on the field...[Claremont, Aug. 11, 1861]...It is expected that we shall be attacked in a very short time...I have just delt out about forty rounds of ammunition to each man if there is another fight it will not be a Bulls Run affair...if there is to be a fight it will be a bloody one...[Camp Vernon, Aug. 27, 1861]...The orders came tonight from Gen. McClennan to be ready at a moment's notice to march. I also hear that our army have taken Fairfax...I think the great battle of this war will be in a few days...[Camp Franklin Nov. 20, 1861]...I have been to the review today at Bayley Cress Road...it was the finest thing that ever took place in this country. I do now know how many troops was present but think there must have been more than seventy five thousand...There was such as McClennan Lincoln Seward...[Camp Franklin Mar. 27, 1862]...Today we went on a large field west of Fairfax...McDowell marched in review first but ours took the prize...The Maine 5th was THE Regt. Genl McClennan says it is the best Regt in the Potomac Army, and that is glory enough for one day...I am proud to think that the Maine 5th after being so low, should stand so as she does...[Apr. 6, 1862]...I took a stroll through the Secesh Hospital grounds...I saw a group of men...around the remains of a poor man that was left in the Hospital...[We] gathered the remains of the poor man and close up the...coffin...and lowered them into his last resting place...[White House Station, May 16, 1862]...We are now on the Custis Plantation...now belongs to one of Genl Lee's sons...McClennan makes it his headquarters at present...All is quiet in the Army of the Potomac...[May 24, 1862]...Our army is having some fighting in all quarters. I hear the booming of the cannon both on the right and left, also of musketeers in front but I hardly think a general engagement will come at present...I have not yet learned how many the Rebels lost...[May 31, 1862]...The news of the late Battle near Hanover C[ourt] House. I hear we took about fifteen hundred prisoners and there were some four or five hundred killed & wounded...[June 8, 1862]...At two o'clock ...we left...The Rebels tried to hasten our speed by a few shells but done us no damage some of them exploded quite near us. One dropped within few feet of one of my company...The Rebels commenced shelling the Bridge we had been to work on...[July 3, 1862]...I still live, but am in the mud knee deep. I am in command of the Regt & have been since the great fight of Friday...I have been in the fight for the last week...[July 11, 1862]...The President has been here to see us. He still wears the old stove pipe hat but he is one of the best men the sun ever shone upon...Some of the rascals are firing into our boats as they are passing up and down the river...The Daniel Webster was fired into yesterday and one ball went into her boiler but no harm was done...I lived on excitement for five days...[July 19, 1862]...We are now on the banks of the Potomac, ready to cross. I do not think much about going back to the sacred soil of Virginia...[Aug. 25, 1862]...We arrived at Alexandria at twelve yesterday and left the boat...Kearney passed through here Saturday...and went on to the Rapidan and went into the fight, as he is the man for the time...[Camp Franklin Sept. 3, 1862]...We went to Bulls Run...we got to the battlefield just in time to save Pope's army as they were skedaddled in all quarters. I made near fifty from other Regts fall in to ours and do duty as they were straggling from there...I made every company cook take muskets and fall in with their company as our Regt was quite small...I think we had over four hundred men when we got ready for the fight, but the Rebs got wind that our Division was ready to rec[eive] them in open field and they would not come out. We stayed in that position until about eight o'clock...till the whole of Pope's Army had passed the Run...[""On the battlefield"" Sept. 15, 1862]...the Rebels were in a gap in the Mountain [Crampton's Pass] they had taken advantage of us as they have all these artillery planted so to give us fit, but our men went into it as they would any other...Our boys done honor to themselves. I had three killed and two or three wounded...The Rebels are...whipped. We took a large amt of Prisoners, almost as many as we had men engaged in the fight...I am now writing on a log, the dead and wounded lying near me...[""On the Battle Field...Near Sharpsburg, Apr. 19, 1862]...I still live but have just passed through another rueful conflict. We left Crampton...and come on through...to this place [Antietam]. We arrived here on the field of battle at twelve noon, and went into the fight...Thousands of dead lay around us...This morning we are expected to go into the fight...My heart is full and I could write all day long on what I have seen...[Near Williamport MD, Sept. 23, 1862]...The Rebels left here as soon as we get here Sunday...We have not seen or heard from them since we came here...Last night we slept on the field [Antietam]. I slept on the same spot the noble Mansfield fell while leading his division on to victory. Col. Jackson is still with us but does nothing but lay drunk or at least pretend to be...We have in fact seen no rest since we left last spring from Fairfax which was in March. I think no army ever saw a harder time or done more fighting in the same time...[Oct. 5, 1862]...We have been reviewed by the President of late and inspected yesterday by one of Franklin's staff. I was in command of the Regt the day we were reviewed by Old Abe...I think I have done nearly my part of the fighting. I was in the first Bull Run fight West Point Gaines Hill Charles City Cross Roads, and...the second Bull Run as we saved the utter roust of Pope's army at the time, and our next fight was at Crampton's Pass...our next fight was...near Sharpsburg but it is now...Antietam...I have seen some of the hardest fighting that is on record...[""Near Baltimore"", Nov. 10, 1862]...With a sorrowful heart I commence this letter. The idol of this Army [McClellan] has bid us good bye this forenoon...We find no fault with Burnside but he is the man to lead this Army as he has planned this campaign. Why In god sake did they not remove him after the Battle of Antietam. But no, Lincoln came through the whole army and visited every corps...and said that he had done all that man could do...Since that time he has newly organized the whole army, and put everything in the best of order, has taken Pope's army and brought order out of disorder...I would not be understood that I am a proslavery man. I say let every state have it's state right under the Constitution...I was not in favor of the President's proclamation nor do I think much of the act of Congress in abolishing slavery...Let us heave away all our old political ideas till this cursed rebellion is crushed out...Let all political parties go to the devil till we have a Union once more...I now hear the booming of the cannon...in the direction of Culpeper...I wish we had our old commander to lead us to victory but the ungreatful [sic] north have taken him from us...[Feb. 7, 1863]...Burnside is one of the best Gen but as he says is not competent to command so large an army. I think that Hooker will do well if they will let him do his own planning...[May 5, 1863]...My Regt was ordered up a ravine...but it was not such as the Gen [thought] when within two hundred yards they opened upon us with grape & canister. I lost twenty men & three officers in five minutes...my men stood like heroes and held the point until I was ordered out. We then took another position and held it until near noon...and then carried the Hight in front of the city. The we abandoned our position and marched through the city on to the Hights & rested...in the last fight we lost 91...We fell back only a few rods and held our ground the remainder in this place till last night at dark...We have been fighting now six days...twenty shells passed over since I commenced [this letter]...[May 10, 1863]...I gave you a full account of the several day fight, but I did not give you tell you of the awful suffering our poor fellows are going through...At night, I got up and went back to that awful field...I found Mark [?]...on his back in the most awful pain...I took him by the hand as he lay there and told him I thought he could not live but a few hours at most. His answer was...that he wished he could die at once...The moon was shedding light upon thousands of the dead around me. Many of the dead had been brought in and lay around beside of the roads...[June 8, 1863]...The 2nd division cropped first this time and took about one hundred prisoners...I think we are here for is to hold Lee from reinforcing Bragg or Johanson. My opinion is that as soon as this thing is settled on the ship we shall take the defensive as one Army cannot be near as large as Lee's is here...[June 13, 1863]...I think we shall not stop here long after the fate of Vicksburg & Port Hudson are decided...I am expecting a storm is brewing...our army is now falling back towards Washington as three of the corps has already left...[June 21, 1863]...I do not believe there will be any fight here but Hooker was sort of fooled this time by Lee...[Camp near Manchester, July 1, 1863]...I broke camp at 10...The rebs left about one hour before we got there...Our band played and our troops marched in gallant style...We are going to Pennsylvania...our destination is Hanover or Gettysburg...we are after the Rebs and are bound to overtake them if they do not go too fast...[Battlefield at Gettysburg, July 3, 1863]...We...reached this place last night...rested a few minutes and went into the fight. I was on the front line all night (July 2) and was in the fight all day the 3rd but did not get in the engagement....Had two or three slightly wounded...We are now near Middletown Md. and are to march...to Antietam Old Battlefield. I expect as the Rebs have made a stand there...[On line of Battle near Funkstown, July 11, 1863]...We left Middletown Thursday morning...& came on our old Battlefield of Burnsides...If we advanced and Lee Battle we are whip as our whole force that we can fetch into the fight will not exceed forty five thousand. Lee has to day not less than sixty thousand & perhaps 70,000...I do not think it is his intention to give Lee fight but to capture...or to get Lee to attack & then fall back to the Passes in the Mountain...[July 28, 1863]...I am once more detailed on a court martial...We tried one case and the sentence is that the fellow shall work on public work and wear ball and chain...to weigh 20 lobs...and have the letter D branded on the back of his right hand. His crime was desertion...[Aug. 6, 1863]...Yesterday I got one of mine [a deserter] by scouts. He tried to play that he was a member of the 3rd corps and 3rd Maine but it would not go down...[Camp at Warranton, Va. Oct. 5, 1863]...As we arrived here Kilpatrick was a fighting the Rebels about two miles in the direction of Thoroughfare Gap...Yesterday I saw four or five of our men dead by the wayside that was killed the day before, and what was the most brutal they were all robbed of their clothing...From Manassus Junction to the Rappahannock station the Rebs have tore up all the track, bent the rails, filled up the cuts and burnt up the bridges...[Oct. 7, 1863]...the Rebels are within a few rods of us upon the other side. They are strongly fortified and entrenched, as mush so as at Fredericksburg...[Oct. 18, 1863]...We were expecting to meet the foe...as our noble army advanced, they fled in wild confusion...We got back to Rappahannock Station...come on by Manassus thence by the old Bull Run Battlefield to Centerville here we camp...[Battle Field of Rappahannock, Nov. 8, 1863]...Glory enough for one day. The glorious old fifth has done more than any Regt in this War. I with not more than one hundred fifty men captured not less than twelve hundred Prisoners. My boys captured four hundred Battle flags. I had five full Col surrender their sabers to me...[Nov. 29, 1863]...I am a McClellan man...the President removes a man from office one day for issuing a proclamation to liberate the slave and next will do the same thing himself!...The Potomac army or its commander has done more to disgrace itself within the last two weeks then it did all the time it was under Mc...Gen. Sumner sent a flag of truce per the mayor to surrender the city of Fredericksburg or they would shell it at the end of 16 hours...[Center of the first line of Battle on the Rappahannock just below Fredericksburg, Dec. 15, 1863]...We are in front on the Battlefield. Our fight commenced on Thursday and is till going on...I cannot tell you anything of our loss, but it was very severe. The Rebels are now on high hill...Our Army is on the Plain...we have gained but little of them...We hold the city but it [is] nothing but a wreck ...[Camp near White Oak Church, Dec. 26, 1863]...I do not feel like saying much more of the awful slaughter...[Camp at Welford Ford, Va. Apr. 9, 1864]...I do not believe Hooker a fit man to command at all. The man that would get the army into the position he did at Chancellorsville and at the time he was most needed be beastly drunk, is not fit to command a corporal guard much less an army...The flags captured at Rappahannock Station...will be taken to Bethel with us on our return...[Battlefield in the Woods, May 13, 1864]...We have been fighting for nine days. I think the loss of the Army cannot be less than forty thousand. I had lost but 13 up to Tuesday...that evening at six o'clock we made one of the most gallant charges ever made in war. I went in with two hundred men & come out with one. I lost five capt out of six in this charge. I captured two Battle flags and many hundred prisoners but it cost us dearly. Yesterday we were ordered in again but I cannot tell you of our loss as we cannot yet tell. Capt. Lemount was killed which leaves us without a Captain...I now have four or five Lt. and about fifty or seventy men...I have been hurt a little...Thousands of dead Rebels lay in our lines. Gen. Sedgwick was killed last Monday...by a sharpshooter...Col. Carroll was killed in the first days fight...[May 23, 1864]...This morning we have pushed out to the front and have taken possession of the Va Central Railroad. Hancock is now fighting, then at Sextons Junction...I hope we will reach Richmond before time is out...The Rebs are coming into our lines by scores...[Near Battlefield in the Woods near Mechanicsville, May 31, 1864]...We are having quite a fight today...The cannon is now belching forth her thunderous breath upon our right and left...June 1st...We have had a hard fight to night. I lost but one man from my Regt...June 6th...that night we had a...night attack but we drove the Rebels back into there pits with no loss at all..."". Along with several post-war letters and documents regarding the 5th Maine. A truly incredible archive, possibly the finest we have offered, in overall very good condition.`
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