Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Coleman Tilden, Co. H, 43rd Mass. Vols., Newbern, [N. C.], Mar. 3, 1863, to his parents, in part: "…I saw Henry Merritt and Andrew Poole here Sunday, but did not speak to them. They are both in different vessels…Poole came here sometime ago, but his vessel was confiscated by [the] government having spiritous liquers on board. She was sent to New York…Andrew Poole went to Washington and got a permit to bring her back again, so here he is again. We shall have a full regiment again…our colonel is not going to hurt us with hard work…our Lieut. Colonel [John C. Whiton, future colonel and brevet brig. gen. 58th Mass. Vols., WIA Cold Harbor, 6/3/64] is a man who if he was in command…would put the men through…he cannot bear to see the men having an easy time…he told the colonel that the men did not drill enough. The colonel answered, "Yes, they drill enough. I am not going to kill the men. I want to take just as many men back to Boston as I possible can." He never says much…but I guess he thinks enough and he is a man that will have command of his regiment too…the other officers can not influence him…both times the Lieut. Col. was in command…it commenced to rain, but he took no notice…and kept on drilling. When the colonel came up and told him he had better send the men to their quarters. The men notice such things…we have never seen Col. Holbrook lose his temper, something that cannot be said of the other officers. The 45th and 44th have to drill hard enough…I have no doubt that they are better drilled than we are…Lieut. Bradbury of our company [is] detached as Lieut. of the pioneers, has got a big job. He is building a road from here to Newbern…he has got a large gang of darkies to work and he bosses them in great shape. The pioneers cut down the trees and the darkies do the toting as they call it. If you want a drake to carry anything…you must tell him you want him to tote it. They would not know what you meant if you should say anything else…there is quite a row at Ship Island between two companies of the 18th Maine and a nigger regiment…it is not going to do for the government to put them, the darkies, I mean, on the same footing with the whites and try to mix them together. There will be a row in the field right off. They will never be much benefit to the government I reckon…Coleman." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG.
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