Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
Good war-date Union soldier's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Coleman Tilden, Co. H, 43rd Mass. Vols., Newbern, [N. C.], Jan. 3, 1863, to his parents, in part: "…there is another expedition on foot to start by the middle of the week…the destination is Wilmington…do you remember Capt. Dale of Chelsea that used to be superintendent of the horse cars…Dale is captain of the transport steamer Maple Leaf [See the Alexander Porter Morse's letter on overthrowing the Maple Leaf's crew and his escape from that ship as rebel POW in this auction.]…the Monitor the great Iron Clad was lost. It is supposed off Hatteras the other night. It is thought she was under way here to help take Wilmington though nothing is known…the people at home…think we were driven back to Newbern. It is not so…we did not retreat because what could twenty thousand men do right in the midst of the enemy's country with no chance to get supplies…we done all that was intended…it was the plan to go up there and wake them up a little and destroy that rail road…it does not give the rebels a chance to use the road to transport troops to Wilmington…three more companies were detached…for picket at…Batchelder's creek about twelve miles from here…the 23rd has been detached from our brigade…we are sorry for they are a bully regiment…Barney Mann was wounded. They say he volunteered to burn the bridge at Goldsboro, but was wounded in the attempt…he showed great plunk. Col. Amore could not get commissioned Brig. Gen. though he is still acting [brig. gen.] I do not know the reason why…they said our time had not commenced and would not until the field officers were sworn in. They were sworn in…the 25th of October…the question was…that our time commenced when we were sworn in…we are obliged to serve over a month after we were in before our nine months commenced…it makes me feel blue enough…you read…about our soldiers being so eager for a fight…when the battle comes they will fight…[but] it is not natural for a man to wish to go where the chances are that he will not come back…it makes a man…a little mad to see all the darkies here doing just as they please, loafing round doing nothing and getting fed and clothed by government [officials] while we cannot do anything at all. The niggers are the nastiest, laziest set of vagabonds that ever you saw…let any man come out here…if he would not get sick of them he ought to be made to live with them. I wish Obed Merritt was out here. I always had an idea that the Morris Brothers minstrels exaggerated a great deal in their performances. They do not begin to come up to the mark of what they really are. All the darkies here can do is to dance and they can do that to perfection…ask any of them to dance and they will do it in a minute. They only thing they are willing to do and it is comical…enough…they make their feet go in every direction…half of them you cannot tell which side of the leg the foot is on…their heels are as long as their feet…Coleman." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.