Raynors 2012-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/27/2012
Large archive of 48 war-date Union soldiers' letters by five individuals, two immediate postwar soldier's letters by one person, various documents and ephemera pertaining to the primary correspondent, Private George Bender, his family and comrades. Bender, of Cross Cut, Pennsylvania, enlisted in Battery "B," 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, on June 28, 1861 and served three years, mustering out on June 9, 1864. Thereafter he served in Co. "G," 2nd U. S. Veteran Volunteers between February 27, 1865 and February 27, 1866. During Bender's initial term of service, Battery B was engaged on the Virginia Peninsula, at 2nd Bull Run (where Bender was wounded), at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg, the Mine Run campaign and the Wilderness. Private George Bender's letters read, in part: "(Camp Pierpont, Virginia, 2/16/62)…I think there will be some hard fighting to do be fore long I think there will be a big move on the Potomac a bout the time the nice weather comes in in the spring…it will be like the times on the forth of July…(Camp near Alexandria, Virginia, 4/8/62)…we halve orders to march to morrow morning…I expect it will be at richmond…there is a good deal of turn pike road here but some times we haft to get off of them and the by roads are mity bad here…(Columbian College Hospital, Washington, D.C., 12/18/62)…general McClelland has the command of the army of the Potomac once more and I am mity glad of it…I cant tell how soon I will get to the Company but I expect to go soon…(Columbian College Hospital, Washington, D.C., 4/26/63)…the folks a round the hospital thinks I cant be kild…they say the army is on the move…but I expect I will have to stay here for a while but I am going to the company the first chance I get…(Rappahannock Station, Virginia, 8/10/63)…I must tell you that we halve had some hard times since I got back to the Company and Some very hard fighting to do and we done it well we done it the best we node how and that was pretty good there was plenty of rebs here when we came here but there is none here at Present but I don't think they are very far away…(Camp near Culpepper, Virginia, 10/3/63)…The health in the Company has been very good ever since I came back we are going to get two more guns and then we will halve six we will get men out of the infantry to fill up the company…(Camp at Bristoe Station, Virginia, 10/31/63)…I was on the very spot that I was wonded at bull run the place looked very natural there was three kild at the same place they was bured at the same place they fell…(Camp near Brandy Station, Virginia, 12/9/63)…we halve been doing some big marching and some fighting…(Culpepper, Virginia, 2/6/64)… when you look at major general Reynolds then you look at one of the best generals of the war he ust to command the first army corps the one we belong to but he was kild the first day of July 1863 at gettsburgh…(Culpepper, Virginia, 3/35/64)…we expect general grant out to this army soon to review it I expect it will be a big day I shall be very glad to see him I have heard a good deal talk a bout him I gess he is a good man…(Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, 6/6/64)…we are this far on our way home..we halve had a hard time all this month fighting every day this month but as luck would halve it no one was kild and only one wounded…(Berryville, Virginia, 4/2/65)…I am a feard that we will haft to do some fighting before long for I heard the old cannon boom to day but they was a good ways off if they never get any closer I will be very well satisfied…(Winchester, Virginia, 4/8/65)…I need not tell you about Peters burgh and Richmond being captured for I expect you halve heard of it long before this…" The vast majority of these letters retain their original postal covers, some of which are colorful patriotics. At least three of the early war letters are penned on patriotic stationery as well. Overall very good condition, however several letters from early 1864 are somewhat faded…plus; Private Bender's discharge certificates from 1864 and 1866, very good condition…plus; "Album of the Gettysburg Battlefield," circa 1890, small 8vo, accordion fold-out lithographs bound in leatherette boards, the back cover detached, else very good condition…plus; newspaper clipping of George Bender's 1898 obituary…plus; brooch-like pinback containing a postwar portrait of Bender, fine condition…plus; five (5) Union Veterans' ribbons, including one for Battery B, First Light Artillery, all very good…plus; Bender's Civil War hat cord with acorn finials, a spot of green verdigris, else very good…plus; Masonic souvenir handkerchief from Chicago, dated 1910, very fine condition.
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