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January 2, 2012

 

To be listed shortly:   Great letters from the 17th Mississippi plus numerous other net price items.

 

Super Pair of Diaries John M. Bean, Qtr Master Sergeant 17th PA Cavalry   Pic 1  Pic2   $3250

1864 Diary –  January 1-April 30; weather, miscellaneous, and a few references to review by General Grant, officers moved on railroad, in Culpepper Camp and Stoney Mountain.   From May 1 to December 31, 1864 with nearly 250 full pages in these 8 months, the diary is packed with fantastic content, battles, events, generals, Negroes, and more. At end of this diary are notes on supplies taken in from soldiers by Bean as quartermaster sergeant.  Both diaries are in easy to read pencil, only a dozen or two pages are partially filled.  This diary is in excellent condition; occasional page here and there has some very light stains.  Jan 3rd 1864 This a nice morning but it is very cold here, today we are in camp culpepper May 18th 1864 This is another cloudy morning, we in camp, close by Fredricksburg, the ambulance is a going out again, we move camp back to where we laid before, we are with the dismounted men now, back again they say today was the hardest fight we had yet, our men took 2 lines of their best work this morning, about 4 oclock lost a great many men but the hold all they took, it rained all evening.  June 11th 1864  This is a cool morning, we are) laying the fortified barricade to all the car trains under the protection of the gun boat, they tore up the railroad iron and put it on a vessel, the road from the white house landing 200 thousand dollars worth of iron stray took up, it rained here today, the troops comes in fast at the landing the 100 day men went off this morning to james river. Auq 16th 1864 This is a cloudy morning, we move this morning towards harper ferry, we move down through sederville the is the turnpike that leads to Winchester, there our cav had a fight and our men captured almost 300 hundred rebs, they all of them Georgians some Virginian, here we layed in camp for the night.  Sept 19th 1864  (I believe, 3rd battle of Winchester) This is a nice day but cold,we started this morning at 3 oclock to march and went clement point, down towards a little stream its called opequan crick, our cav cross 1, but hard fight the infantry is on our left, the 6 col went out today to this is some hard fighting today, our cav took 800 prisoners , the infantry to 3 or 5 thousand , we come to summent point to Winchester last night….wildcook landing, white house landing, pamunkey, opequen creek, shenandoah, lee's mill blackwater stream, harrison landing, harper ferry, berryville, winchester and the pike, sheaperd town, charles town, mr millers farm, wood stalk, guard railroad from winchester to harper ferry, union town, snicker ville, louden county, dec 12th 1864 capt bean started for home, dec 17th was gunz fired for the great victory of gen. thomas gaines down south, raiders didnt come back yet, richman, fredricksburg, 100 day men.  1865 -  This diary is filled from January 1 through mid June 1865,  Jan 1st 1865 This was a cold day in camp, all quiard there, this camp is cold, camp Russell near Winchester Feb 13th 1865 This morning it was very cold for a while, then got warmer, we went out and got a lot of wood, capt bean went home this morning, camp Russell March 3rd 1865. This morning it rained and it rained most all day, gen custard took 1100 hundred at wanesborough and 11 pices of artillery from them, this was yesterday March 9th 1865 This is a cloudy morning, we in camp closer by the james river canal, went up the canal to the bridge over james, but the rebs burnt it March 15th 1865. This morning we are with in 21 miles of richman ,struck the railroade again, tore up, burnt the bridge, we in camp here for the night a little town cald Frederick city. April 2nd 1865. This morning fighting came early again, this morning, on our rite of line got on the railroade about noon today, southside railroade now tore up , had a fight before we got to the main road in camp. April 9th 1865  Gen lee surrendered his army up to gen grants general Sheridan this afternoon, about 4 oclock today went in camp, then side be side a strong skirmish on all night gen lee was surrounded so he had no other chance to go or fight, we took most all (of something)  Inspection is a MUST with a 3 day return privilege.  There is no real way to describe the fantastic content of this diary without reading it.  It would take days to transcript.  Some of the text is a literal transcript, that is, Bean spelled a number of words phonetically.

 

Imprint of Judge Advocate's Office, Military Court, ms Dept E. Tenn.   Pic1   Pic2     $850

March 7, 1864, 8x10 inches, superb condition front and back; this is a Confederate summons issued for witnesses against a Virginia officer who was court-martialed in Greenville Tenn, Capt. Benjamin J. McComas of Co. B, 30th Battalion, Virginia Sharpshooters, was brought to trial on charges that he granted a fellow officer an unauthorized, extended medical leave of absence without following staff procedures.  He was ordered arrest b Gen. Sam Jones.  On backside is a pencil order regarding enlisted men in the guard house.  McComas enlisted as a private on May 13, 1862 at Pearisburg, Virginia.  He was first arrested on May 20, 1863, apparently exonerated and then fought at Cedar Creek before being capture and sent to prison at Fort Delaware.  Accompanied by some research documents.  Retail value about $1450.  Benjamin J. McComas Residence Mercer County WV; Enlisted on 5/13/1862 at Pearisburg, VA as a Private. On 5/13/1862 he mustered into "B" Co. VA 30th Battn SharpShooters , POW 10/19/1864 Cedar Creek, VA.  He was described at enlistment as: 6' 1.0", ruddy complexion, grey eyes, dark hair

 

Rare and desirable gold mining letter, Black Hawk Colorado Territory, May 21, 1864   Pic1   Pic2   Pic3   Pic4   Pic5   Pic6    $225

5+ 8x10 pages, ALS J. Fred Pierson, Brig. Gen. by brevet, made rank of colonel, POW.  This is a wonderful official retained copy written by Pierson describing mining operations at the Rockdale Gold Mining Company during the territorial period. Pages 44-49 from his ledger book.  He is writing to George C. Satterlee, who was the Vice President of the New York City Fire Department and apparently part owner of the mine and handled finances from New York.  Pierson talks of various shafts, richness of the ore, the Bobtail tunnel, methods of mining, buying crushers, and much more.  The letter is in bold pencil written on tissue ledger paper but is very fine.  This technique was frequently used by company to retain copies (all handwritten).  All of the pages have been scanned and posted with the description.  If you have trouble reading, scans can be sent by contacting us.  Gold mining letters, especially with this much detail and during the Colorado Territory period, are extremely rare and almost unobtainable for private collections. 

 

THE ITEM ABOVE IS SOLD.  However, we have many others with even better content.  Inquirires welcome!

 

Antebellum Covers

Box 3494, Gaithersburg, MD 20885

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  Last Updated – January 1, 2012
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