3rd Minnesota Infantry Letter Collection.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2015

A good war-date letter group consisting of eight (8) letters, five of which are war-date soldier letters written by Pvt. Samuel F. Wyman, Co. I, 3rd Minnesota Vols. dated between March 1862 and August 1863. During that time the 3rd was stationed in and around Murfreesboro where part of the regiment was captured by Forrest, at Fort Snelling, Minnesota and then in central Arkansas as part of General Steele's command in its advance towards Little Rock which was under Confederate control at the time. Wyman had an eye for detail. His commentary is almost aways filled with vivid descriptions of what he saw and experienced including the capturing of spies, descriptions of the local slave population and of raids into Confederate held territory. The letters, read, in small part: "…[4pp. 4to., Louisville, Ky., Mar. 18, 1862]…we are now on an important move. We had orders…to proceed immediately to Stephensville…there we were to join our brigade…we are very well satisfied now that we have got out of Bullet County, Ky. that is out of the mud…are on the move down in "Dixie." We want a peep at a Rebel flag & have a crack at one of them. Some of the other Reg call us the Band box & Dress Parade Regmt….the Louisville folks says that we are [the] neatest & healthiest looking set of fellows that have been through the city…our Col. [Henry C. Lester] likes to see the boys amuse themselves in a proper way…our Col. has given us some high compliments once on battalion drill…at the close…he said "It is impossible for it to be done better." He has been in service before [and] was at the battle of Ball's Bluff…glorious news reaches us every day. We hear Island No. 10 is ours. Im afraid if they keep retreating so fast that we shall not catch up in time to see their heels…[4pp. 4to. & 2pp. 12mo., Murfreesboro, Tenn., May 16, 1862]…we are to start for Columbia tomorrow…to go in the cars by way of Nashville…I was out on the Shelbyville Pike on picket duty…the pike roads in this country are very nice & as straight as a railroad. Every road leading to or from Murfreesboro is guarded & no one is allowed to pass unless they have taken the oath & have a pass…it makes the rebel citizens chafe…to be bothered so by the Yankees…near the road…there was a field of corn some 250 acres. There were some 20 slaves cultivating & hoeing it…there were 13 teams at work…nearly 1/2 of the slaves were females. They were rather poorly clothed. The overseer said that it had been almost impossible to get clothes…a darkey told me that he had been in the Rebel army was taken sick & could not follow them…they all acknowledge that our army's behavior is much better than theirs . This fellow has taken the oath but any one can see that he is still a rebel at heart…I with 2 others were ordered to guard a meat house of a rich old major …the P. Marshall had him arrested with some 60 more citizens. They were arrested as spies. The P. Marshall of Murfreesboro & the Lieut. Col. of the Mich. 9th were shot at one night while riding along the street. While we were guarding the meat house we told the niggers we would like a good supper. They went to work & got us quite a good supper……they have been searching the houses of these rebels & have found 200 guns, most all heavily loaded. They [were] expecting [Gen. John Hunt] Morgan in this city some night & were preparing to help him. They also found a lot of clothing from the army, a lot of saddles etc. We are camped…outside of the city of Murfreesboro at the head of a little valley from which springs a sunken brook …Murfreesboro did contain about 3500…it is now nearly dilapidated. It contains some 4 or 5 churches & a very large court house…there are some of the finest flower gardens here…we have a bugle band. It is quite a novelty to… the folks who hear it…[4pp. 8vo., Morristown, Minn., Dec. 16, 1862]…we were to have 15 day's furlough to go home & then to report at Winona a town on the Miss River…we went to St. Paul to get our money…the paymaster after he had paid 4 cos. said he had no more money & would have to wait until he got more from Washington…we went back to Ft. Snelling which is 6 miles from St. Paul…I got tired of waiting…& I got aboard a stage & come home. Nearly all of the Regmt. are now off to there homes…we were doing duty at Snelling. Affairs have been managed very bad in this North West Department…about Charles Davison's [WIA First Bull Run] death. He was in the 1st Minn. Reg. He died in the hospital in N. Y. City…[4pp. 4to., Helena, Ark., Aug. 8, 1863]…last night we had a long order read to us that Maj. Gen. Steele was to take command of the forces [and] to take the field from Helena. Brigd. Gen. Davidson is to cod a large force of cavalry. There are 18 regiments of Ifty going with us. [He then lists all the regiments.] The 5th Kansas & 1st Ind. Cavalry under comd of Powell Clayton & 4 field batteries…& 60 rounds of cartridges to the man…this is the largest exhibit. that we ever were with. The orders are to get ready immediately…the general don't say where we are going but we all surmise…Little Rock…we will go from there through to Texas…it is a very poor country…[4pp. 4to., Duvall's Bluff, Ark., Aug. 26, 1863]…it is about 150 miles up the White River from its mouth & 30 miles from Clarendon at which place we crossed…we left Helena on the 13th…I had formed quite a wrong opinion about Ark…it was…it is nearly all timbered between Helena & Clarendon, very level, most too level to be healthy…there are some nice plantations here but few of them being worked this season all corn no cotton…we met at Clarendon a large force of cavalry 12 regmt under Gen. Davidson from Mo. We stopped at Clarendon 5 says until the gun boats & the transports come up…we had a poor place to camp…the rebels are fortifying just on the other side of this prairie …crossed White River…it took a great while to ferry our Div. across…we had to cross a large bayou on a pontoon bridge…from these bluffs it is 50 miles to Little Roc. There is a railroad running from here to L. Rock. It is the place that Gen. Gorman came with his exhibitionist winter. He burned the railroad depot & some cars. There are some old rebel entrenchments …Davidson's cavalry are now in front…finding out their strength & position. We heard firing in front yesterday & our cavalry captured a squad of rebel pickets 27…we are now building a Gen. Hospital & fortifying it & chopping down the timber so that the G. Boats…will be left here can protect the sick …our transports were fired into 7 miles the otter side of Clarendon & wounded 7 of our men. The rebel pickets were here the same morning…our gun boats have been up the river as far as Little Rock…where they captured two small steamers. One of them had cotton…our force now use them [the steamer] they come…handy in ferrying troops etc…". Expected toning, stains and folds, else overall VG. The three non war-date letter are from the prewar years and discuss routine family matters mixed with some otherwise good commentary.

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