Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 307
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
C.W. Dated ALS From Rikers Island Reporting "raising a negro regiment…they are treated the same as white men, only better"
C.W. Dated ALS From Rikers Island Reporting "raising a negro regiment…they are treated the same as white men, only better"
image_0 image_1 image_2 image_3 image_4 image_5
Description:

C.W. Dated ALS From Rikers Island Reporting "raising a negro regiment…they are treated the same as white men, only better"

A 3pp autograph letter signed by Mason S. Chambers (1840-1929), a sergeant in Co. F, 169th New York Infantry Regiment, as "Mason S. Chambers" on the third page. December 22, 1863, Rikers Island, New York. Inscribed on blue-lined bifold paper, the fourth page being blank. Expected wear commensurate with age including flattened paper folds and moderate discoloration, else near fine and very legible. 4.5" x 7." Accompanied by its original transmittal envelope, hand-stamped with philatelic markings but with the postage removed. Expected weathering, and letter-opened along the left edge. 5.5" x 3.125."

Sergeant Chambers sent this letter to his mother, Hannah Chambers née Moncrief (1803-1891) of Flackville, New York near the Canadian border. Chambers was assigned to administrative duty on Rikers Island, and he reported the latest news: the nearing completion of new Union Army barracks on Hart Island, located further up the East River from Rikers Island; the recruitment of African American regiments; the "conversion" of Rebel prisoners; and the next expected army draft in January 1864.

Punctuation has been silently added, and paragraph breaks have been inserted for clarity. Chambers wrote in part:

"We have not moved here yet but [I] think we will move about the 1st of January to Hart Island - they have got new Barracks built there. Capt. Allen of our Detachment started South this morning to join the Regt. He took a few men with him who have enlisted for our Regt. It is probable that the rest of us will stay nearly all winter.

We have a large number of Recruits here. Sent away about 450 to-day. They are raising a negro Regiment here + have now about four hundred negroes. They are treated the same as white men, only better. Recruits come in here at the rate of about a hundred a day. We have had a [sic] quite a number of Rebel prisoners who have taken the oath of allegiance and have enlisted in the Union Army…The Draft is to take place on the first of January unless Abraham postponed it…"

The "negro Regiment" described by Sergeant Chambers was probably the 20th U.S. Colored Troops, which officially mustered in on Rikers Island in early February 1864. Formed under the auspices of the Union League Club of New York after December 3, 1863, the battle unit ultimately comprised over 1,000 soldiers commanded by Col. George Bliss, Jr. The 20th U.S.C.T. continued training on Rikers Island until late March 1864 before being dispatched to duty in Louisiana, Texas, Florida, and Tennessee. Two other all-Black regiments, the 26th U.S.T.C. and the 31st U.S.T.C., made up the rest of New York's African American soldiers, of which there were about 4,000 total.

Chambers' observation that the Black soldiers "are treated the same as white men, only better" is challenged by historian Edgar Alan Nutt, whose monograph, "The Rikers: Their Island, Homes, Cemetery and Early Genealogy in Queens County, NY" paints a different picture. Nutt wrote: "The black soldiers were paid less than half of what white soldiers were allotted, in New York, their wives were refused relief money, their regiments were tagged with the designation “U.S.C.T.” (United States Colored Troops), and in general their service was either denigrated or unrecognized." The aspect of unequal pay between white and Black soldiers was only addressed in June 1864.

Mason "Mace" S. Chambers enlisted along with his younger brother George around October 1862. For the period between 1863-1865, Sergeant Chambers appears to have been assigned special duty on Rikers and Hart Islands. Located just off New York City, the islands were the site of important military administration: mustering in drafts and recruits, training them, and mustering them out. Hart Island eventually replaced Rikers Island as the location of soldiers' barracks and the Confederate prisoner-of-war camp. The brand new Union Army compound on Hart Island included soldier quarters, a commander's house, a library, and a concert room upon its completion. It could accommodate up to 3,000 soldiers at one time, and over the course of the Civil War, it's estimated that about 50,000 Union soldiers were quartered there.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000