Raynors HCA 2017-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2017
A wonderful Civil War letter, 4pp. 4to., by New York City attorney and Harvard graduate Rufus Billing Cowing (1840-1920), New York [City], Aug. 23, 1861 to his mother, reading, in part: "…we see our government in the midst of a Civil War awful indeed yet from the circumstances unavoidable…never a government more lenient than ours has been never one less to blame for a civil war. We have seen states assuming to themselves the right of independent sovereignties. The property of these United States in the shape of mints, cutoff houses, frost has been seized. Loyal citizens [have been] plundered of their property & made to flee the state in which they lived for no greater crime than thinking contrary to…military despots…pirates have been sent against our commerce…they have…boasted to…quarter their lawless herds in…Faneuil Hall…while the slave rolls were being called under the shadow of Bunker Hill…it is the duty of our government to lie supinely on its back & allow treason, theft & anarchy to devastate our whole land…our government is not waging an aggressive war, but is simply striving to maintain itself against one of the most rotten & careless rebellions on record…now mother…why should your children have less duty to perform than thousands aye hundreds of thousands of others. Our government has got to be…maintained though it cost the life of every able bodyed man between the age of 18 & 45…entertaining these views…you can readily see the advise I should be disposed to give to K…whatever may be our opinions about this war there is one thing certain…our government is fully determined to fight it to the bitter end…if men do not volunteer they will draft them and make them go…I am of the opinion we have got to come to drafting before the end of this war. If so what would be the use of getting K discharged…if the men do not offer themselves faster in this state the government will draft them in which case I…am a candidate…in K's case it would only be jumping out of the frying pan into the fire…there is but one way to get his discharge…that would…be to bring him up before some judge in Virginia by what is called…the "Baby act" of a writ of Habas Corpus…again K is contented &…shows from his own letter…he has no regrets…I know very well that war is not one of the most agreeable affairs…but his chances are as good as many others and some one has got to maintain the government…Rufus." Some spotting, else VG
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