3rd Minnesota Infantry Letter Collection.

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2015

A good war-date letter group consisting of six (6) letters, four of which are war-date soldier letters written by Pvt. Samuel F. Wyman, Co. I, 3rd Minnesota Vols. dated between October 1861 through November 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 guarding railroads, the uneducated Southern population, and deserting soldiers from General Sterling Price's command. The letters, read, in small part: "…[4pp. 8vo., Morristown, Mn., Oct. 3, 61]…now my country calls me & I feel it my duty to respond…the time has now come more than ever for me to go…I have signed my name to go in a company of sharp shooters…the test…is to shoot into a 9 inch ring, 20 rods. There is to be a company from each of the Western states & they are to drill in some central point…as a Rigmt…used only as skirmishers…[2pp. 4to., Belmont, Mo., Feb. 15, 62]…our Regmt is…guarding the Louisville & Nashville R. Rail 27 miles from Shepardsville…there are some 9 or 10 bridges…our company was at Leesburg…on picket guard…it is a very rough country…it is all cut up by deep ravines…about a mile from the above town is a great tressel work bridge…one of the bridges that we were guarding has been built recently the former having been burnt by the Secessia…such an ignorant set I never saw. They think if a person can read right off without spelling he is fit to teach & was surprised to hear one of our boys read…without spelling a word. I saw alittle fellow about as big as Daniel…go up to his mother & tease her to let him nurse & when she sat down to let him…he took out of his mouth a big quid of tobacco!! As evidence of there ignorance I'll state that they are mostly Catholics…they are making a kind of [?] hospital for this division…the Head Surgeon asked me…how I would like to be an assistant steward. I told him I would see my Capt & see him again…[2pp. 8vo., on patriotic stationery]…I have just come in from…a long hard siege of picket duty…I had to go & stand on the end of one of these long bridges without any chance to keep warm or dry…stood 5 hours "shivering"…we are hearing glorious news…from the advance army in Ky…I do want to see a rebels flag…[4pp. 4to., Little Rock, Ark, Nov. 10, 63]…it is very seldom that I write to married ladies…but seeing that she was so kind to write to me first I will venture to risk it as she is a "war widow"we have to guard all over the city. It takes 30 men each day to guard the prisoners which are confined in what used to the state penitentiary …has a wall enclosing about two acres 24 ft. high & about 20 inches thick & at each corner is a small house on the top…for the sentinel…we are not afraid of Price comin back…to trouble us this winter. A deserter came in from his army…says that Price has some 3 or 4000 men with him in a very demoralized condition with nothing to eat…he says the Col. of his over heard Price say that he was going to take his train down into Texas & sell what he could…for his own benefit. The Col. said that he was not going with him…he has left…he said that 2/3 of his Reg would leave…if they only knew that they would not be treated as prisoners…I expect to go through this war as a private…what do you think about this Veteran Corps. There is a good deal of talk in our Reg about joining it…many think that all the old Regts will be mustered out in May & June & try to get them into the Veteran Corps…they are at work on the R. Road& will have it running within some 15 miles of this place…". Also included are two pre-war letters written from Minnesota in 1857 and 58 mentioning their Thanksgiving celebration, experiencing "hard times" while working on his new claim and of helping fuel religious revivals in his newly adopted state. Several stamped transmittal covers are included. Overall VG.

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