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(POW UNION WAR RECORD)

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(POW UNION WAR RECORD)
An interesting 4to. 9pp. manuscript military record of Private Henry Barstow of the 4th Mass. Vol., written in period ink, giving a day-by-day outline of his service during the Port Hudson campaign. The diary-like account reads, in small part: "…[Sept. 23, 62]…was sworn into the U. S. service…'Bank's Expedition', for 9 months…[Jan. 21, 63]…off Ft. Monroe. My Co. transferred on board of the William Woodbury…Saw the monitor 'Weehawkin'…[Mar. 28, 63]…Allen Holmes and Geo. Witenell died this morning…[Apr. 14, 63]…lot of prisoners brought to camp also lot of negroes and cattle…[Apr. 25, 63]…prisoners and captured articles arrive every day from Bisland and Franklin…[May 31, 63]…the rebels came down to Berwick City opposite our camp and drove off some cattle. These were some of those captured at Bisland…we [had] paroled them…[June 1, 63]…the rebels appeared at Brunswick and tried to draw our forces into [an] ambush…constant firing between the rebels and our camp…[June 20, 63]…bridges on rail road burnt…[June 23, 63]…our camp shelled this morning by the rebels. [We were] taken prisoners at 11o'clock…[June 26, 63]…paroled today…[June 27, 63]…the amount of property taken by the rebels at Basher City was 1800 prisoners…[June 28, 63]…marched 10 miles to Tigerville 7 fell dead from sunstroke…[June 29, 63]…took supper with rebel officers…[July 6, 63]…arrived at Fort Donelson at noon where we were surrendered to our forces and marched to the landing…we run four batteries on the river under heavy fire…". "True copy" is noted at the end of the manuscript indicating that it is a period copy of Barstow's diary, but nonetheless a great piece that chronicles the campaigns of the 4th Massachusetts Volunteers during the Port Hudson campaign. Minor soiling and spotting, else very good.