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(SOLDIER'S DIARY 106TH PENNSYLVANIA)

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(SOLDIER'S DIARY 106TH PENNSYLVANIA)
A great war-date diary most likely belonging to Private John R. Anderson, Co. F, 106th Pennsylvania Volunteers, comprising 36pp. on 4to. letter sheets in period ink and pencil. The diary begins January 16, 1862 and details McClellan's Peninsular campaign from start to finish, including the little-known actions that took place throughout the summer of that year until abruptly stopping Sept. 10, 1862 at the onset of the Antietam campaign. In small part: "...[Jan. 22, 62]...we fired a salute...in honor of Washington…we gave three cheers…for the girls that we left behind….[Jan. 23]...there was a sword presented to Capt. Achuff…[Jan. 27]...marched to Harper's Ferry over the Potomac bridge which the U. S. Engineers had built…the town is deserted not more then half a dozen of families left…Col. Gay and his men crossed over the Shenandoah on ferry boats…General McClellan is here…[Jan. 28]...Col. Gay['s] men continually bring in rebel prisoners and contrabands…[Mar. 23]...started for Washington…[Mar. 24]...marched alongside of the capitol and stacked arms…[Mar. 28]...started down the river with two other schooners fastened to our steamer…passed some blockading vessels…[Mar. 31]...marched through Fortress Monroe down to Hampton…the town…is all burned…[Apr. 4]...commenced our march toward Yorktown. General McClellan is with us...[Apr. 5]...went…about 4 miles from where the rebels are entrenched…[Apr. 6]...marched within about...six hundred yards from where the rebels were entrenched. They fired...killed one man...marched…where the rebels could not see us…found a place were the rebels had a masked battery…[Apr. 9]...heavy firing...this afternoon…[Apr. 11]...the balloon went up...the anchor rope broke…[and] it…came down again in our camp…[Apr. 17]...marched up around the rebel's works...toward a rebel fort…they are at work mounting guns. About every 10 minutes our men throw a shell into their works…the rebels tried to capture several of our pieces but they were driven back…[Apr. 20]...the rebels keep firing at us all day. We returned the fire…[Apr. 22]...a rebel came in with a flag of truce…[Apr. 24]...Lieutenant Foli[et] died this afternoon…[May 4]...the rebels have evacuated this place…the band immediately commenced to play…[May 9]...the balloon is up this evening…[May 11]...General McClellan came here…Col. Morehead told us that the city of Norfolk had been captured…and that the Merrimac was blown up…[Battle of Fair Oaks, June 1]...this morning at 5 o'clock the fighting commenced again…we were ordered to the left…there were many killed and wounded…[June 3]...our men are busy burying the dead and bringing in the wounded…[June 4]...we are ordered…to the right…General Porter is shelling the rebels while his men is trying to cross the river…[June 19]...there was a rebel brought in from the front he was wounded…[Battle of Mechanicsville, June 26]...this afternoon there is a heavy battle going on…our men had whipped them…our whole line cheered…the rebels then cheered…bells rang at Richmond…[Battle of Savage Station, June 29]...we had to halt on account of the rebels following us up…to drive the rebels back…burnt the commissaries [stores] and ammunition…the bridge was set on fire…[Battle of Malvern Hill, July 1]...the rebels opened fire on our camps. There was some killed and wounded in our regiment…drove them back with heavy loss…[July 8]...President Lincoln and General McClellan is riding along here. We are cheering them…[July 18]...Col. Morehead came through the rank and knocked a cigar out of a man's mouth…sent a few others to their quarters for being out in their drawers. They had no pants…[July 30]...the rebels opened fire…on the transports…they were soon silenced by our gunboats…[Aug. 15]...a member of Company B had his head shaved and drummed through the ranks…[Battle of Second Bull Run, Aug. 31]...many of the wounded [are] passing as we marched…[Battle of Chantilly, Sept. 1]... the enemy's pickets were discovered. A few shots were fired…[Sept. 2]...the rebels commenced to shell our camp…[they] followed us up for about three miles…[at] midnight there was some firing…". The diary suddenly stops in mid-sentence just as the Antietam campaign opens and military records show that the only rank and file member form Company F to die during the campaign was Anderson. The diary is complete, but being unbound there is moderate to heavy wear to the paper edges. Minor soiling and some stain affect some of text, else very good.