Description:

Civil War Letters
various, ca. 1862-1864
Civil War Soldiers Letter Grouping - Racist Language, Frustration and Gloating!
Archive
A group of three letters by disgruntled and contented soldiers alike. Two, weary of service, complain to their loved ones about the particulars of daily life, lack of pay, and being dutiful to a "darned Radical" and racial slur. The third assures his correspondent that he is happy working in the cushy Inspector General's Office - but can't resist using a racial slur nonetheless. Overall very good condition. Details are below.

1. An autograph letter signed by Confederate [?] soldier H. Stubbs, four pages, Kents Hill, ME, Aug. 26, 1864. Stubbs writes from "bolivar hites." Spelling not corrected, in part: "…this is the 6 day that we have been intiew it and I don't know how long it last and I don't care much the rebels started from hall town to fall back and we followed them till they came to stanstown and there they was strongly fortified and to get them out of that we had to fall back and they folowed us…when we was in camp they pitched intiew us…we had to fall back before we cood form and they kept up all knight and then we fell back to hall town and formed a line from shenadore river to the potomac…they tried our sentee and the johnnies suffered rather bad and had to skedaddle…there is heavy skirmishing day and knight I wish I was out of it…if anyone like its hear is the plase for them and there is a gone when this war commenced they was a fighting for the union but know it is for the damb black n-gor ad nothing else…I hope that the Johnnies wont get a crack at me senc we left home I have been in intiew five battles…mansfield, pleasant hill…martinwille, this was fought in L.A. melvin hill in M.D. and know here we lay in reserve…". We believe this soldier to be Confederate based on his use of the term "Johnnies."

2. An autograph letter signed by Union soldier N. Hull, four pages with some cross hatching, Brattleboro, VT, September, Sept. 25, 1862, to friend, in part: "…The conclusion which in all probability you have come to long before this, that I have gone to the War…or had left this world of battles and 'Nig-ers', I intend to rout utterly, with a whole battalion of excuses for my delinquent course. Since I received your letter, I have been home visiting a little…I have worked in the 'Adjutant and Inspector General's Office' assisting him in his writing while thinking out the new militia roll of Vermont & other military matters…I have been doing a number of things, getting a knowledge of the different kinds of business. But it has been a busy month…But 'tis what I like. You know I am none of your lazy one's [sic]. I have a school engaged for the winter. I think I shall teach…All the troops from this state [aggregate] here before going to the 'seat of war.' There have been three regiments here this last sunner, the last one leaving here about the first…".

3. Lengthy autograph letter signed, six pages, 5" x 8", Camp Metcalf, Feb. 1, 1862, to his mother bemoaning thew wages which had been whittled down. In part: "…I was intending to send the most of it home but after I paid Bill Barrows what I owed him and had put in my share towards stockading, it left me $22.50 so I shall send home $17.00…they have about the darndest ways to get a fellow's money you ever see [sic] but we have got a paper up in the company to show our respect towards our most worthy Lieutenant John E. Bradford to present a Sword sash and belt to him…Co C and K is agoing to lieve the Regt and go to guard the straglers camp half a mile this side of Alexandria…I shall keep looking out for Miss Bell if she is determined to come out here it is true we are fighting for a darned Radical and Nig-r. I will tell you I think of it when I get home…"

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.

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