Description:

A superb letter from Clara Barton soon after the close of the Civil War, writing on the legal and political troubles of her former patron, General Benjamin Butler, as she attends to the defense of Dorence Atwater, who had been charged with "stealing" the list he compiled of Union P.O.W.s who perished at Andersonville A superb letter from Clara Barton soon after the close of the Civil War writing on the legal and political troubles of her former patron General Benjamin Butler as she attends to the defense of Dorence Atwater who had been charged with stealing the list he compiled of Union P.O.W.s who perished at Andersonville

CLARA BARTON (1821-1912) Autograph Letter Signed, "Clara," 2 pages 7.75 x 10 Washington September 12 1865 to her nephew Sam concerning the legal troubles of Benjamin Butler and alluding to her efforts to free from military custody former Andersonville prisoner Dorence Atwater who had been imprisoned by the U.S. Army over a dispute of ownership of the list of the dead at the Confederate prison. Usual folds with one partial separation light soiling else fine condition

Barton writes in full: Your letter of the 10th is just in hand I also rec[eive]d your former one but have been so entirely occupied during the interval that it seemed impossible to get to it to reply at the length that I desired to. I don[']t know what counsel you had best employ. You are mistaken in supposing that I have any means of knowing how Gen[era]l Butler is to be employed. I could not devise it any more than I could the business of the man in the moon and if there is any one here who knows they would not inform me. He may be going upon the Jeff Davis trial but I cannot believe it yet. In my opinion that would present an opportunity to distinguish himself which would scarce be allowed him — don[']t you think so? I know he is retained in the service against his own urgent request for a discharge and I heard it sug[g]ested in New York the other day that this was only preparatory for an investigation and Court Martial for himself for embezzelment [sic]. I did not believe this either but I did believe that none of them knew anything about it. I don[']t know of a person in the world who could tell us if he would be the proper man or not but I do know that I have on hand some testimony that will be valuable when the time comes and it will serve to show you the style of statements you will need from Mr Redick[.] I suppose if the truth could be known that I have made greater proficiency with my part of the case than you have with yours already and have done four hours work to your one upon it since we last compared notes — so don[']t get discouraged boy and think no body helps you but hop up and hustle around and pick up the facts and evidence when you can find them get something to make a case of and I guess someone can be found to conduct it. If you can[']t get anything from Leurs[?] in any other way. I don[']t see but you will have to appear to him and see what effect that will have upon his slumbers. I too rec[eive]d a letter from Gen[era]l [George Washington] Cullum tonight which I must answer immediately i.e. before I sleep which has become with me lately a kind of imaginary period of time more or less remove —My head is aching hard now for want of sleep— and I have two or three lawsuits and court material of my own on hand." In a short postscript she apologizes for her hurried writing "as Maj. Genl Wilson has passed most of the evening here and I could not get time to write."

A superb letter accomplished during the immediate post-war period when Barton was managing a bureau she had single-handedly established and managed to assist in the location of missing soldiers—a herculean task for which she was but little rewarded by the federal government. Barton wrote the present letter soon after she returned from her historic visit to Andersonville where she raised the American flag on August 17 1865 to dedicate the National Cemetery there. She had travelled there at the request of the War Department as part of an official mission to identify and mark the graves of the dead. She was joined by Dorence Atwater a former prisoner of war who during his captivity compiled a detailed list of the dead at Andersonville that proved instrumental in identifying the bodies buried there.

Barton's mission to Andersonville was hobbled by the mission's commander Captain James Moore who resented her presence and often openly clashed with Clara in the course of their work. Barton and Atwater (who took her side in the dispute) found Moore's work sloppy often finding she had to correct misidentified grave sites after the captain and his men had finished their work for the day. Atwater's siding with Barton turned out to be a mistake for him upon their return to Washington. When Captain Moore demanded that Atwater surrender the list of the Andersonville dead that he had personally compiled he refused. The Army promptly arrested Atwater accusing him of larceny as the list was considered government property.

Now with Atwater in jail and few friends in the War Department (even Stanton advised her not to involve herself in a public fight) Barton sought Atwater's release. Her cousin Sam had evidently suggested that perhaps Benjamin Butler who had been her major patron during the Civil War could pull some strings but the general's legal troubles had greatly diminished his influence. Barton continued her efforts to free Atwater for several more months before he was freed by an order of President Andrew Johnson who ordered the release of all officers from military prison save for those accused of assault or worse (Stephen B. Oates, A Woman of Valor: Clara Barton and the Civil War, 1994 p. 143-145).

Although letters by Barton from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries frequently appear on the market letters from the 1860s especially those concerning her work with the army are quite rare and highly prized by collectors.

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