Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A rare Confederate POW diary, pocket size leather bound, signed by tis owner on the inside front page: "H. H. Wiseman, Covington, Tipton County, Tenn." who served as a private in the 1st Tennessee Heavy Artillery, approximately 30pp., chronicling Wiseman's entire prison experience including his detention at a Federal Prison in New Orleans, on Governor's Island, New York City and finally Elmira, New York by the end of 1864. Before Elmira closed in 1865 it housed over twelve thousand prisoners losing nearly three thousand of those to disease. Wiseman was captured during the surrender of Fort Morgan, Alabama which took place on August 23, 1864. He begins his diary on that date and continues coverage until Feb. 12, 1865. Days earlier, Wiseman was paroled and sent to Baltimore General Hospital where he died on Feb. 16, 1865 from the effects of chronic diarrhea. He was buried the next day in Loudon Park Cemetery, Baltimore. The diary reads, in small part: "…[Fort Morgan, Aug. 23, 64]…surrendered to the Yankees today. Shipped on the U. S. G.[un] Boat Benville for New Orleans…we was taken to the prison in Costen Press…[Sept. 18]…left N. O. on the Steam Ship Cassandria for New York…several of the boys were sea sick…was sent to Governor's Island and put in Castle Williams…[Nov. 9]…their is 300 of us & only four deaths since we left New Orleans. The election is over & Abe is President…the city of New York polled 90010000 votes…majority for McClellan…[Nov. 10]…Genl. Butler has the bay & rivers full of gun boats…to surpress riots…the prisoners hear are divided in companies of 50 to each room…their is scarily room for us to sleep…[Nov. 12]…all the talk among the boys is when we will be exchanged…[Nov. 21]…several of the Yankee recruits…have been carrying on…a brisk trade with our boys buying rings…[Nov. 29]…the news from the South is encouraging…Sherman it seams meets strong opposition wheare ever he goes. If the People of Georgia will only doe their duty his grand army will soon come to grief…[Dec. 3]…we are ordered to leave today…some say for Elmyra…[Dec. 5]…we left Governor's Island yesterday…we arrived at Elmyra late…we were marched some miles to the prison. Some 8 or 10 of the boys jumped off the cars & made their escape. Three of them from our Regt. R. G. Goodman, Dr. Clements and James Leer…[Dec. 6]…I do not like this place…their is some 8000 prisoners heare…most of them are very dirty & lousy. The place is low & flat plenty of mud. The weather very cold…Elmyra is a very nice place and appears quite a large town…[Dec. 7]…the more I see this place the worse I want to leave it…near 4000 of the prisoners…have made application to take the Oath. They are a low down set of men & will rob you of all you have [and] knock you down at night…[Dec. 8]…we had the Sisters of Charity to see us today…[Dec. 10]…the Yankees had us all out to muster us. They kept us in the snow until we were nearly froze…[Dec. 11]…clothing & blankets are being issued to the men that is most in need of them…[Dec. 12]…their is some 250 of our boys in the guardhouse…some of our men die every day & night…[Dec. 15]…we suffer with cold. Their is some 250 in a room and only two stoves & not wood enough to burn…some…never get near the fire…[Dec. 17]…some more prisoners come in toady. 150 of them mostly sick and wounded. A lieutenant-commander or a major shall be exchanged for officers of equal rank, or for eight privates…[Dec. 19]…the Yankees have one of the Rebs promenading the camp with a barrel shirt to the tune of the roughs march for forgoing an order on the sutler…[Dec. 25]…the Rebs have a very good school which is largely attended. You can see grown men learning to write…[Dec. 26]…all the men in the two wards was sent to the guard house…[Dec. 30]…one of the Rebs who was on detail doing some work for the Yanks made his escape today…[Dec. 31]…I return thanks to a kind and a merciful God that he permitted me to the end of the Year 1864…Oh may his Kind and protecting care still remain with me during the coming year…may he soon deliver me from this prison and soon meet with loved ones at home…[Jan. 1, 65]…the papers of today says that arrangement have been made for a general exchange and that Wilmington, N. C. is the point of delivery…[Jan. 4]…it is rumored that 1200 sick & wounded prisoners are to be exchanged…[Feb. 10]…went to hospital…the Federals deserve credit for the treatment of our sick…the hospital is some 130 ft. long sealed well has 20 large windows, three large coal stoves to each room, a good clock, a thermometer at each end, good cots & beds…i signed the parole yesterday…[Feb. 12]…Jim Hughlet was sent for yesterday…he was informed that they have just received orders from Washington that if Hughlet & myself would take the Oath we could go to our Homes. They sent Hugh to see me. I sent word to them that the Oath was something I never could take. That I wanted to go out of the service honorable and did not want to disgrace my country, my wife & relatives. They said…that the oath had been obtained through some friends of ours…they thought they was doing me a favor but I do not thank them for any such kindness…". Interestingly, the inside front cover is signed by a Union sergeant named Charles D. Allaire, Co. F, 162nd New York Vols. Likewise Allaire was also captured; he became a prisoner of the Confederates on October 10, 1864 near Petersburg, Va., He was stationed at Baltimore General Hospital while awaiting his formal exchange and must have worked there as an assistant to the ward master or as a nurse. It is most certain that he crossed paths with Wiseman when the sick Tennessean entered the hospital. Wiseman must have given his diary to Allaire as he was dying, but in thrush we will never know how Allaire really ended up with Wiseman's diary. The diary comes with a cache of historical research the previous owner (who was from Allaire's home state) accumulated towards the diary's publication which actually occurred in 1984 in a well-known Civil War publication. This is the first prison diary we have had the pleasure of offering from Elmira. Covers are detached, but present while the inside binding is tight and complete, else VG
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.