Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
A great group eight (8) war-date Union bandsmen letter, totaling approximately 30pp., written by Pvt. Cyrus Ferguson, 15th Iowa, who was in charge of General Belknap's Brigade Band, reading, in very small part: "…[3rd Brigade, 4th Div., 17 A. C. Camp 5 miles from Washington, June 1, 1865]…I have been twice to Washington…Gen. Belknap took command of our division on Monday. Gen. Giles A. Smith goes to Texas in Gen. Weitzel's command. He takes command of a division of colored troops &…also of White troops. We are under marching orders for Louisville…we are to be sent there because it was the head quarters of the Army of the Tennessee when it was organized…they have to distribute the troops throe' the country…before mustering them out…there is yet a possibility that the report of Amos' death [Cyrus' younger brother Amos Ferguson, Co. A, 15th Iowa, POW Atlanta, 7/22/64; DOD as POW 2/28/65] may not be true, but it most likely is true. I can find no one who knows certainly that there were any prisoners sent back to Andersonville. They were sent south on…the Gulf road from Savannah to…Barkshire &…they were sent from there to Andersonville…those who have been in the prison say that they never number the graves there…so…there is yet room for doubt…to tell the truth I am unwilling to believe the report. There has been no official report of it to our commander…Gen. Belknap told me we would go to Louisville but that was all he chose to tell me…he said he knew no more about it than I did, but officers are not particular about the truth. I have orders to keep the band filled up & in good trim…the vanity of the officers in making a display at Keokuk…would prompt them to require this. This stripes of black velvet were on a pair of pants that an orderly got at Columbia, S. C…Amos' wife will be entitled to a pension of $8.00 per month if he proves to be dead…[Louisville, June 13]…after a hard trip from Washington we have landed here…we were put aboard the cars…like a parcel of hogs or cattle. The band were put on board an open coal car without seats or anything…to protect them…we left Washington at night…crossed the Potomac at Harpers Ferry…got aboard steamboats at noon…leaving our second Eb flat soprano & second Alto behind leaving hard work for me to do in the way of playing…there was a large crowd of boats & plenty of racing. One boat was sunk on Sunday, but no lives lost. The 11th Iowa was on it. The same boat run int ours in the morning, but didn't do us any damage…[Louisville, June 24]…all furloughs are ordered to be stopped. This makes some men rave…there is such a percent of the men of each regiment furloughed. It would take two from the band…we were not allowed our percent but our brigade commander tried to get the whole band furloughed…the Col. of the 13th Iowa has his wife here & sat night we had to tramp out & play for dress parade…& this morning we had to play for guard mounting for the brigade. All this makes the boys swear…there are plenty of Irishwomen peddling pies, cakes…& all such stuff…yesterday I saw a couple of niggers buy some pies of an Irish woman. After they eat them they said that the pies were not good…"What do ye mane by saying that." said the woman. "They are good enough for you ye black devils. Don't ye be a taken that way round here so I cant sell my pies & cakes." Our nigger cook has left us & gone back into South Carolina…Private: You will need to use extreme caution with Labrina [his sister-in-law whose husband Amos Ferguson died as POW] & make no promises to her whatever…her case is one of thousands…she has my sympathy…I have written inn regard to Capt. W…I excused him at first but found him to be a sneaky liar & will treat him accordingly if he crosses my path…[Louisville, June 27]…we don't know…whether the present order mustering out 15,000 of the Army of the Tennessee will reach us or not. Gen. Hickenloper now commands our brigade & he told me he did not know…but promised me that as soon as they were mustered out…he would do his best to have the whole band furloughed…we have to buy some clothes for government shaddy is not fine enough for a brigade band, only on the march & now style is the thing. The officers talk of buying it for us…Gen. Belknap has gone home on 20 days leave…he commands our division…we sometimes go to his headquarters & play which pleases him highly especially if we play two or three waltzes. If he were here we couldn't dress too gay to suit him for altho' blunt & plain himself. A dirty slouch round his head quarters would be subject to some…choicest cursing…we have to play for guard mounting every morning & after that the men scatter off…to town to get drunk & others into the shade…Labrina should put her business into the hands of an attorney…it will require considerable work for her to secure his pay. Official notice has been received of his death…it was furnished by a man in prison who stole a copy of the hospital record by night & concealed it and brot it away with him…[Louisville, July 4]…we have just got throe' our work today which was playing for the brigade while Gen. Sherman reviewed it…he rode along the line & then back, then made a short speech, bid us goodbye & was off. I [He] kept us till noon…we were in one of those nice shady lawns…to be found among the old estates of Kentucky…yesterday morning we were routed up at half past one ocloc in the morn to go to the city to escort Sherman from the boat to his head quarters in the city this honor having been assigned to the 3rd Brigade…when we reached the city it was just light enough for us to see to play. We marched down to the boat landing but Sherman didn't come off for about 3 hours. So we had to wait. When he did come he was thronged with citizens to get sight of him…we had to play from the time that Sherman landed…over the most miserable rough & muddy streets we have ever yet marched…when opposite the house Sherman was to stop at we wheeled out & played till the brigade passed, wheeled in behind…& followed it part way out…having had the distinguished honor of escorting Gen. Sherman…& performing our duty…to the entire satisfaction of our commanding general & all concerned…have atoned for past military sins…a sight of Sherman is no novelty to us. We have seen him so often…that it has ceased to be a curiosity yet this must have been a big thing…today Sherman bid us goodbye saying that before we saw him again the Army of Tennessee would cease to exist as an organization, only in history. One year ago today we were fighting the rebs & then I doubted whether it would be right to live on equal terms…but they are whipped & a more contemptible, sneaking, hang dog looking race I never saw…[Louisville, July 6]…Louisville is one of the dirtiest cities I have been in, that is in the streets. Some of the streets look very well & others stink so as to be almost intolerable. Everything is high priced…some of the soldiers are making trouble & a great many are deserting. By this they lose their pay that is due them & are dishonorably discharged…this last order will stop a good deal of deserting for the men will stay…if they only know they will be discharged soon…[Davenport, Iowa, July 23]…yesterday the 16th regt got here & we escorted them to camp…the 16th were nearly all captured a year ago yesterday & their entrance into Davenport was quite a contrast to their entrance into Atlanta…the scenes of the 20th, 21st & 22nd of July 1864…hardly seems real…I was sitting with my back to a tree engaged in the same business while the shattered remnants of our regt were throwing up breastwork expecting another attack…the news I was writing then was bad…most of the boys, as fast as they are paid & discharged lay in heavy in Jew clothes, but I don't intend to buy anything here…[Davenport, July 27]…this morning about 4 o'clock all at once came a dash of wind that shook our boarding house, tore away a shed in front of it & passing on ripped up & smashed in the roof of a large vinegar establishment…our band will be disbanded tonight…July 28…some of the citizens here think we beat Strasser's Band bad but we know they can exact more difficult music…private: [Te]ll your mother that I respectfully decline [the] pot of beans as we have more of that…stuff now than we want. They are decidedly government grub which I will not eat when I become a citizen…her other condiments I will pay due respect to. Also it would be…folly to offer Labrina a home with us. You could never make it work…after a while grief will wear away & her old ways would come back. No! it is not our duty to offer her a home…I know you better than you know yourself. In the first moments of grief you are willing to make any sacrifice but you are human & would tire out after while. Let her act for herself...". Also included are modern photo copies of Ferguson's pension file which show that he was slightly wounded in action during the battle of Big Shanty, Georgia. Minor soiling and toning, else overall VG.
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