Description:

Civil War
Frederick, MD; various, ca. 1861-1865
New York Soldier Re: Lee's Surrender & Lincoln Assassination, 14 letters, 46 pp!
Archive

[CIVIL WAR.] Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letters Signed, to brother Jesse W. Ketchum. 14 letters, 46 pp. Plus other wartime letters by various individuals. 3 letters, 9 pp.

This small archive includes fourteen letters from Richard G. Ketchum, a private in the 21st New York Cavalry, to his brother Jesse W. Ketchum in Ontario County, New York. Most are written from the hospital in Frederick, Maryland, where Ketchum spent much of the last two years of the war. Bonus letters include two also addressed to Jesse W. Ketchum and a third from a Rhode Island soldier, who had recently enlisted, to his brother and sister.

Contents and Excerpts
- Munson H. Najac, Autograph Letter Signed, to his brother and sister, May 3, 1861, Washington, D.C. 4 pp., 7.875" x 9.75".
"I am no longer a soldier of Rhode Island for yesterday we all went to the Capitol & took the Oath of Allegiance to the United States which places us under the orders of Uncle Sam."
"day before yesterday I was detailed to conduct the man we have as a prisoner supposed to be a spy to William Hotel to prove his character so I took two men & had them load & cap their pieces & placed him between them & I marched ahead so I did not give him much of a chance to escape. But he did not try to however I could not get hold of anything to prove his Character so I brought him back & he is now under Guard. I do not know what they will do with him."
"the President is very much pleased with the appearance & actions of our Regiment & so are all the leading men of the place."
Munson H. Najac (1835-1922) was born in Rhode Island and enlisted as a sergeant in Company A of the 1st Rhode Island Infantry in May 1861. He later served as a 2nd lieutenant and 1st lieutenant in the 10th and 12th Rhode Island Infantry. He survived the war and returned to Rhode Island, where he married twice and worked as a painter.

- Ezra C. Richards, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, October 3, 1863, Fort Marcy, Virginia. Includes envelope. 3 pp., 5" x 8".
"I could not help writing any longer for I found out that one of your pupils or rather two of them have taken to them a better half bully for them"
"I suppose that you are waiting for a good girl to be fool enough to offer herself to you but it is my opinion that you will wait a while in vain"
Ezra C. Richards (1844-1907) was born in Ontario County, New York, and became a carpenter. In August 1862, he enlisted as a sergeant in Company H of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery at Rochester, New York. He rose to the rank of corporal and survived the war, mustering out in June 1865. He returned to Illinois, where he lived in Rockford until going to the Soldier's Home in Danville, a few months before his death there in February 1907.

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, October 15, 1863, Troy, [New York]. Includes envelope. 4 pp., 4.75" x 8".
"I enjoy myself to think of going to south. I was mustered in last night. I gave three loud cheers, that the boys thought I ought to be glad to get out of this scrape, they are sorry that they are mustered in they dont want to go, they dont like cold sleeping they dont like to guard night neighter [neither], some of them hide to escaped guard, but I like the plan of punishing deserters"
"I draw my bounty this after noon which is one hundred & seventy dollars."

- James Doolittle, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, January 26, 1864, Mason, Michigan. Includes envelope. 2 pp., 4.875" x 3".
"I went the next day after you left and got 14. thousand shingles I have got 3 thousand feet of lumber sawed & drawn home yesterday I got my plaster the weather has bin mild since you left the snow is all gon"
James Doolittle (1817-1896) was born in Ontario County, New York. He moved to Mason, Michigan, by 1860, where he was a farmer. He lived there until his death.

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, April 27, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 4 pp., 5.25" x 8".
"I think I am an invalid so our boys says, and that they heard the surgeons say I must take command of the invalids."
"how is the law out there now on bachelors in Maryland the bill passed, that all bachelors over twenty five years old they are to be tax twenty dollars ($20) and they that is forty five shall be tax forty dollars ($40,) because the war is destructive to the male population tell John to look out, for it wont cost much to keep A woman, or he may get one to work for mother, then tell the collector that he has got A woman"
"well I got two of my photograph the man wanted me to wait and let me have some better one so I did but I will send this one home, so that if any thing stole my life, you would have one shadow of me to keep, hope to have better one in few days."
"Jesse you must try to live like soldiers do before you ever enlist, so that you can understand it. some like it very well most of them say they would give back the bounty money they received to get their discharge."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, May 11, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 4 pp., 5" x 8". Loss of a portion of the third and fourth pages.
"With pleasure I write to you tonight, am well and healthy as usualy, and will be happy if this find you all with the same spirit. I cant enjoy any better elswhere while Im A niger for uncle Sam. I has to go to work 7½ oclock, leave at 11½ oclock A.M., and at 1 O'clock leave at 4½ oclock P.M., and work slow as I am please and hard as I please so I guest I better stay to get my farm and bounty, what do you think, the doctor stewart told me that they have got my disch—most fild out to send me home, but I dont expect to get it, for I was fooled so far so I think they do it to please me, but if they do, had I better take it and lose the bounty and land to boot"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, May 16, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 4 pp., 4.75" x 8".
"I was near of going invalid corps, they had my name on the list, to go to baltimore but forgetting to tell me of it before hand so I was not ready to go so I'm here now but some of them that is in my Co, Co. H 21st is to go invalid corps"
"they have got an invalid here that cant hardly hear A sound, he work as well as any he had typhoid fever that made him deaf."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, August 1, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 4 pp., 7.75" x 10".
"well Jesse I have arrested those rebels simpathiser they were found guilty by Maj Yellott they gave baild in ten thousand dollars ($10,000) it is to be decided by gen'l Hunter I think"
"I calculate to go as A spy agained here by putting on rebs uniform, when our troops comes through here. I can go to some citizen just after dark doctor Adams thinks such a citizen is one of the leaders so I can tell how I was capture by the feds, and making my escaped then if he wish rebs gen'l early to come here agained he can write A letter to gen'l early for me to carry then I can give it to provost marshel to arrest us both, by making believe I am A reb so as to thro off all suspiession to other citizens, then you see that letter can prove alone, but if he gives me A letter you see I can dress like A citizen to make believe I will go to gen'l early."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, April 27, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. 4 pp., 5" x 8". Hole in first page affecting a half dozen words on first two pages.
"I started from Canandaigua at A.M. 9,45 accommodations train got to Elmira 4 P.M., got transport to Baltimore I went on 6. P.M. train got to Baltimore 8 A.M. on the next day, then I got another transport to Frederick"
"oh Jesse I like to forget to tell you about those girls on the west side of Seneca lake the cars stop to load with peaches so I got off to see them they gave me great plenty of peaches to last me about four days don't you want to be A soldier now we took A smacking kiss as the bell commenced ringing but I like to loose that train I would if the conductor haden reach out his hand to me so now I am here in time to escape punishment"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, October 27, 1864, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 2 pp., 5.125" x 7.75".
"I got my two months pay, but those clothes I had was stolen but I have stole most as much back now, so I shall send it by express to Canandaigua, I think this week. They took out my transportation which was sixteen dollars & sixty five cents $16.65 some one broke the lock of my box and stole my jacket and album with my shadows they done it to get my revolver but diden get it. the doctors got A new way to punish thieves, they had two board pick to put on anyone one board front side one behind with the words painted on (Thief) then six guards to lead him through every Barracks every tents to show him to all"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, [December?] 8, 1864, Camp Stoneman, Maryland. 4 pp., 5.25" x 8".
"I shall be discharge as soon as I received my month pay for I have got to return the bounty before I am discharge, for if I don't give it up, they will keep me until they go to the front, and then they will discharge me to go invalet corp, so you see I cant go home unless I give up the bounty"
"they wanted me to be discharge now as soon as they found out that my disch is made out, they told me that they rased the devel with me to have the capt to get me discharge. They said they never was made at me, but that I was deaf, and that I would make them get behind in battle if I went so they wanted to have me disch."
‘I must stop writing now for I have got to go and take care of horses now"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, January 9, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. 4 pp., 5.125" x 8".
"they are going to examin the soldiers here agained to send them to there Regt. I dreamed they discharge me I thought you was here too"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, February 9, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 2 pp., 7.375" x 12".
"if I goes in the country all summer with John Tegly to buy eatable stuff for hospital I think of speculateing A little I can make five and ten cents on butter eggs fowls &c. as Tegly do. I cant say I will do it yet, but I will write agained and let you know all before I do."
"I may be put in the invalid corps, if I refused it they will send me to my Reg't, so you can see the chance for me to get my discharge, as my reg't doctor says he will do it when I come back agained."
"I don't think I will go from here, I could desert to go home by takeing bee line through Pa as I see on the map, but I don't intend to try I tell you how I can, for I go to Pa to buy stuff and am gone three and four days before we returned so you see I get near one hundred miles start of them perhaps you think me fool for not trying it as I might make more out there."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, February 16, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. 2 pp., 7.5" x 12".
"we have some sleighing here now days we have had some sharpe cold days too"
"I think the doctors will transfered me to Rochester Hospital N.Y. as doctor Bartholf tells me that he will try to have me discharge or sent to Rochester. I told him I dont want to go in invalid corps rather to be discharge, but if they will let me stay as I am I am satisfy but he says they cant keep me all the while unless I go as invalid corps"

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, March 4, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 2 pp., 7.375" x 9".
"I hear that the rebs are cornered up very close now as the rebels congressmen are deserted from there quarters, but I am quite sure they will make raids where ever they can to keep the war up. I wont expect the war will ended this year"
"Oh I forgot to tell you that Mr Frederick City girls are calling me in to pierce there ears, for I can do it so as not to hurt them any and it gets well in A very short time, so you can see how well they like me."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, April 13, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. Includes envelope. 2 pp., 7.75" x 10".
"dear Brother I am little drunk I think for I feel limber as an eal for only two swallow of old rye whiskey I took it to please the officers they are having good time of it with me they like me still and so do I like them well we are having good old day today & we are celebrating today as old lee is surrendered to old grant.. .. I am happy to think you and John can stay at home now."

- Richard G. Ketchum, Autograph Letter Signed, to Jesse W. Ketchum, April 15, 1865, Frederick, Maryland. 4 pp., 5" x 8".
"you no doubt have heard the news that old abe is kill, every body mourn this lost except some rebels sympathizer so the citizens is going to tear down all houses that has no flag of union on, there is plenty of them, so they will have A big time of it you may believed, then they are going to arrest those that do not have A flag of our country. I has to attend A funeral of some soldiers in this hospital some days I carrys five some days four and some days only one, they have the measles now the small pox has got in this hospital"
"people here thinks now that old Lee will try on now as old Abe is dead some of Moseby men came in the other night and gave up, but the people are keeping an eye on them."

Richard G. Ketchum (1832-1872) was born in New York and, in 1860, was a farm laborer, living with his parents in Canandaigua, New York. In September 1863 at Troy, he enlisted as a private in Company H of the 21st New York Cavalry. He survived the war and mustered out in June 1865.

Jesse W. Ketchum (1841-1925) was born in Ontario County, New York. In 1865, he lived with his parents in Ontario County and was a farmer. By 1880, he was married to Polly (1847-1885), with whom he had at least five children, though four died as infants. They lived in Cheshire, New York, where he was a spoke manufacturer. He later became a farmer for many years. After his first wife's death, he married Maria (1846-1921). He died in Ontario County in April 1925.

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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