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1823

George Morgan

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:6,000.00 - 8,000.00 USD
George Morgan

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Auction Date:2012 Mar 14 @ 18:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Collection of 45 ALSs written by Union soldier George Morgan; 164 total pages; written from various places in Kentucky, Maryland, and Virginia, as well as Washington, D.C., Knoxville, and Philadelphia; dating from May 12, 1862–September 21, 1864. All but two letters written by Morgan, primarily to his brother Austin, and a few to his parents and another brother Kimball. Two letters are written by Austin and Charles Woodward, who sends news of George’s death.

The letters chronicle in detail Morgan’s experiences as a participant in the Civil War over a period of two years—the military routine and battles, as well as his views (with grammar and spelling retained). In the first letter, written from Lancaster, Kentucky, Morgan reports that “we marched seventy five miles in six days….I supose that we shall have to keep a marching and shelling about all summer….We are here to keep the rebbles back. …Richmond is taken…. We are in a rich state and we dont get half enough to eat and what we do get ant fit for the devel to eat. There is good stuff enough grows out here but the solders cant get it…” Three miles from Harper’s Ferry, on October 14, Morgan complains, “them letters did me more good than all the stinking meat that I have eat for a weak.” On November 14 he reports, “We have ben a marching ever since the 29 of Oct…some days it has been pretty hard…we havt head much to eat. Each one of us have to do our own cooking, we take our hard tack and a chunk of raw meat, we fry our meat or rost it or eat it raw…. We expect to move from [the Rappahanock river]. Every hour yesterday I see a little shooting, the rebbles caveldry attacted some of our caveldry and pickett the other side of the rivver…they put the shells into them for about a half hour and then left; they took some of our men.” Nov 21, from Fredrickburg: “they say that Bronside has sent in a flag of truce giving them a short time to surrender the citty…we ant alowd to steel anny thing on the road, the rebbles prprty is all guardded, the armey aint alowed to distroy anny thing as they pass along….” On November 27 Morgan also comments on politics: “When these solyers get home the democratic party must rule for I dont think there is a man in the armey that will ever vote nonothing ticket again….” December 16: “I have ben in one hard battle…there was seventeen out of our regt killed on the field and a lar[g]e number wounded.” December 19: “…it was a horrable site to see the dead bodies…they dug ditches ten or fifteen rods long and throde them rite in two or three deap and…some of them wernt covered more than six inches deep and ther wer robed of everything they head, some of them wer stripped of naked.”

The year 1863 begins with news that “…the rebbles have dug rifle pits all along on the other side of the rivver….” By February 12, Morgan has moved to Newport News “from Falmouth…went down to…the potomack rivver…there our Regerment gut on board a schooner. There was three schooners and one steam boat loadded with soldiers….”March 9: “…A sick man out here dont have half as good care taken of him as a sick chap gets at home….” March 19: “The moneter dont lay but a little ways out from the wharfe. It looks like an old raft, it ant but a foot and a half above the water, there ant no guns to be seen nor enny thing else hardely….” On March 23, Morgan observes the social and economic environment: “…niggers…come in every day and…will wash shirts for five cents apeace….” April 18 from Winchester, Kentucky: “…the slaves out here live ten times as easey as the people do in New hampshire and have about as much money; here is thousands of slaves that monney would not hire them to leav thier masters…the smartest nigger there is here dont do as much work in three days as I could do in one….” August 1: “…the rebels left. After daylight we was ordered out of the pits, they found out that they wer gon and then we went over to the citty. We found a fue rebbles soldiers that stade back a purpos to get taken; they had not enny guns nor equipments….” August 18: “…This fall we have ben out almost a year and the regiment has gut reduced down more than one half…. I think they will have some troubble to get out three hundred thousand men. They cant lick the south they mi[gh]t just as well stay to home….” Early in September, Morgan hears that Austin got drafted and writes, “…the darnd Republicans. I think more of the old democrat party than ever I did before.” September 12: “…we have started on a long journey…the last monthley report there wernt but three hundred and seventy men reported for duty….” September 23: “…we have gut to go through the Cumberland gap where old Burnside took over two thoussands rebbels. They took them to camp Nelson. We met them when we was a comming here. The Rebbles looked pretty rough; they head on grey clothes, they wer rather small young looking solders….”

On January 14, 1864, Morgan writes from Camp near glines cross road, Penn: “…we are living on half rations and poor at that. You folks at home have no idea what a poor situation this armey hear is in. Our clothes are worn out and a good menney of our boys are bar footed…my old boots are amost gon…. I was on skirmish and picket every other day and knight and when I was off I hade to be to work on fortification…. The rebbles calculated to take the citty but they did not quite make out….” February 20: “…there will be some more feightting here in East Penn. They talk about starving the rebbles out…. Old Longstreet armey has gon into winter quarters up about Morristown. Some think that they will try Knoxville…. If they had stuck to us a little while longer before they would have starved us out and took us all prisoners…. I think it is enough to make a man love his cuntry to be used as we have ben used…. There is some talk here about the 9th core goin north to recrute to fifty or sixty thoussands and go on an expidition another spring under Burnside….” Morgan’s letters between May and July are written from the hospital in Philadelphia where he is recuperating from an illness. May 11: “…the doctor says that I have head the spring feaver…. I see by the papers that old Burnsides keepes his niggers as a reserve….” June 7: “…the damnd war will be settled up this summer or fall. Old Grant will take Richmond before he leaves it….” Morgan’s last letter is written July 11: “…I am goin to Washington…they are a sendding every man that is able to fire a gun. They think that Washington is in great danger. I wish the rebs head stade in Richmond for I…should probably have stade here a good while….” On September 21, Charles Woodward sends the tragic news of George’s death: “It seems that he had started from the Hospital…to go to Regt. had got as far as Alexandria Va. Was taken with Diptheria and died very Sudden on the day of July 22.”

In very good overall condition. Letters are contained in a custom-designed blue fall-back box.
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