Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
A great Antietam related Confederate officer's grouping belonging to Lt. Motle C. Calhoun, Co. K, 10th Alabama Infantry, Col. Alfred Cummings Brigade, General Richard H. Anderson's Corps, Army of Northern Virginia. On American's "Bloodiest Day" during the battle of Antietam, Calhoun was severely wounded by artillery fire while the charged the Sunken Road and the Irish Brigade, near the Piper Farm. After being wounded, Calhoun was fearful he was dying and as a result inscribed his bible to his wife making it one of the most significant Antietam relics we have ever had the pleasure to offer! While lying wounded on the field or in a hospital, Calhoun reached for his bible to comfort his dying soul. Inside its front page he penciled this touching inscription to his wife, in part: "...Sharpsburg, Sept. 17-1862, Will a generous foe return this bible to Mrs. S. E. Calhoun. I have fallen dear wife, but my trust is in God. Meet me in Heaven…". Thankfully, Calhoun did not die, he survived his wounds and later during the war wrote a detailed account of the Antietam campaign. In a war-date account book, with many 1863 and 1864 entries, he penned a seventeen page account of his experiences of the Antietam campaign starting on Sept. 10, 1862, in small part: "…broke camp…on the Manocassie [Monocacy] River and moved in a westerly direction…one mile out of Middletown. There was some demonstration of joy upon the part of the women…in Frederic City as we passed through…a few miniature Confederate flags was all that we saw…those who side with us appear to be afraid to make any demonstration in our favor. The day was excessively hot…the citizens of Middletown is decidedly Union, several of the citizens insulted our soldiers…calling them dirty dogs etc., but one secessionist and he [is] a negroe…[Sept. 11]…reached Burksville…this is another strong Union hole…no signs of sympathy for the rebel soldier. Went out on picquet last night…it rained…but my Yankee blanket kept me perfectly dry. Hear conflicting reports about the enemy…they are skedaddling towards Frederic City. We don't know where Old Stonewall is but rather think he does…[Sept. 12]…over the mountain and entered another beautiful valley…after passing…Brownville (probably in honor of Old John Brown) camped in the vicinity of the Ferry. A small detachment of Yankees were seen this evening but one or two bombs served to excite their skedaddling mania…[Sept. 13]…the ball has opened in earnest this morning upon the opposite mountain. The rattle of small arms is distinctly heard…and the smoke plainly seen…hoping soon to hear the "welkin ring' by our boys and know that they are driving the enemy…the firing ceased for about an hour and broke out again in a new place…the enemy are flanked…the Yanks amass themselves…by throwing their largest shells at the old mountain…taken out after dark…over a very mountainous and difficult…rout towards the river to stand piquet…[Sept. 14]…we heard yesterday that the enemy were advancing in our rear…Hill's division is defending the gaps or mountain pass in our rear and a furious engagement must have taken place judging from the tremendous cannonading the greater port of the day…we are here in a little valley surrounded by mountains with an enemy strongly fortified in front…our escape would be impossible if Genl. Hill's position is forced…Jackson must be interesting them on the other side as the firing from the front must be from his batteries…retraced our steps…on the way…numerous stragglers on the road [indicate] that Genl. Hill had been compelled to abandon his position…the gap had been forced…the Yankies in possession of the mountain and had captured one piece of artillery a good many prisoners and our men almost completely routed. This news came like a thunder clap…we bivouacked in a cornfield…[Sept. 15]…marched to the across the rout where we formed in line of battle…we filed down the road…formed once more on the slope up a hill…awaiting the aproach of the enemy…he did not come…our forces were very weak but we made our position a good deal stronger by making a sort of breastwork of fence rails and rocks…heard Old Jackson's cannon roaring tremendously from early dawn till 3 P. M. when all was still…news that Harper's Ferry had fallen unconditional surrender…we had captured 11000 prisoners, 60 pieces of fine field artillery, numbers of horses, mules and wagons…all this produced a thrill of joy…camped for the night near our old piquet post having passed through the Gap …all together [it] is a stupendous work as the grading strong. The Gap…is through rock and the cliff in several places are from 180 to 200 feet high…[Sept. 16]…very much exhausted from long marches and loss of sleep. Crossed the Ferry upon a pontoon bridge…there is also another bridge over which the RR passes as fine a work as the one we destroyed at Federic City, it is also constructed of iron and its fate is doomed as it…will be blown up…we could not see much of the Yankee fortifications…the once beautiful…U. S. Armory were all destroyed by…Gen. Johnson when he evacuated the place. The little village on the Virginia side is insignificant…saw not a few live Yanks, a few Yankie negroes and some Yankie women. they denounced Gen. Miles…for surrendering the place and heap upon him the epithet of traitor…tis said they lost six or seven men…we filed off to the right through a clover field and halted…wandered off in the neighborhood in search of something to eat…we returned to our bivouac…with our stomachs gorged…and to our utter surprise…found the regt under arms and ready to march…we observed quite a number of troops…going back in the direction of the river…an incident occurred…an old blind horse backed by one of the negroes in the regt with a few chickens tied behind him. [The horse] became frightened…and began to prance and cut up…all the road…which was thronged with soldiers. It was difficult to tell which way to run so as to escape the iron hoof…but all did run…in all directions. Some against the horse, but most frequently against each other…never did men behave more like a heard of…brutes…bivouacked …from midnight till day when we again took up our march in the direction of Sharpsburg…[Sept. 17]…ever memorable for the fieriest contest…that was ever fought on American soil…it was here in the heat of conflict that I received a wound from the explosion of a shell…which laid me up for two months and came near sending me to my last resting place. At early dawn we were up and on the move to the field of battle…wounded soldiers passed us…some said that the enemy were driven back while others stated that our columns were giving way…marching at a quick step for about 3 miles we reached the scene of action and were ordered to a position…half a mile of the little town of Sharpsburg which was now fast vanishing away from the effects of the enemy's shot. We reached our position about 10 o'clock AM…under the heaviest…fire from several batteries…few fell till we reached a corn field in which the savage foe were secreted [they] poured a most destructive fire into our ranks killing and wounding numbers of our boys…". Clearly, Calhoun was a plantation owner as many of the 1863-4 accounts tally cotton sales with one interesting slave related receipt, reading, in part: "Received Payment, For & in consideration of the sum of thirty five hundred ($3500) dollars…I have this day sold & delivered to M.[otley] C. Calhoun, negro man Tom. I warrant said negro man to be sound in body & mind. S. F. Alford, Selma, [Alabama], Aug. 25th 1864…". After this there are several pages of reminiscences from "Headquarters", January 1862. Also included in the lot is a war-date stamped transmittal cover panel addressed, in part: "…Lt. M. C. Calhoun, Richmond, Virginia, 10th Regt. Ala., Vol. Co. K…". Expected wear to both leather bound books with loose pages affecting the journal and the front binding of the bible detached, but easily restored. Overall VG
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