Raynors HCA 2017-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2017
A great war-date Union home front letter written by the father of Lieut. Frank B. James, Co. I, 52nd Ohio Vols., 4pp. 8vo., Cincinnati, Oh., Dec. 20, 1863 concerning the dire financial future of the South and of fevered excitement for Sanitary Fairs springing up throughout the North, reading, in small part: "Dear Son, No letter from you since your…note…from Ringgold…Mr. Blackburn who saw the recruiting for officers for your Regt. on their way to Columbus…told him that the brigade was left by Sherman at some little town between Chattanooga & Knoxville…the' the colonel's presence at the trial of Bob's murderer in Nashville would indicate that the brigade is not in the field…we are very uncertain &…your mother is becoming anxious [about you]…we have succeeded in creating a great excitement in favor of our Sanitary Fair which is to be opened tomorrow evening. Fifth and Sixth street market spaces have been enclosed & roofed for exhibition & sale of a…variety of contributions animate & inanimate…it will be almost a wonder if they find purchaser. Palace Garden & Mozart Hall will also be open during the two weeks, the one for refreshments, the other for exhibitions. There will be various private entertainments given for the benefit of the Fair…the Shakespearean reading club gave a reading last week. Alice's music teacher assisted at a private concert. The churches all have formed societies for keeping…a table supplied with goods for sale at the 5th Street Bazaar. All over the state Sanitary societies have applied for space. Contributions in considerable amounts, either of money or materials are coming from the Eastern Cities. One is waylaid everywhere in the streets by men & children with tickets for the various places of amusement. Thomas school contributes…85 & in material a further considerable sum…Alex's school gave about 100…even Little Eff's school contributes. The extent of the movement & the amt. of contributions must make a decided impression on friend & foe…it will be impossible to prevent the facts [from] penetrating the Rebs lines. You must have already learned of the suffering of our soldiers in Richmond prisons & of the efforts to relieve their sufferings by food sent…as well as the refusal of the Reb authorities…to allow any more to be distributed, on the pretense that their honor had been wounded by…that the articles would not be fairly disposed of. The meaning of all of which is that the ability…to care for our prisoners…is telling unfavorably with their suffering people & producing discontent…Memminger's Financial Report & Davis' message…indicate a sad state of affairs, 6,000,000 actual receipts etc & 900,000,000 of paper money issued & a virtual proposition to force the funding of this enormous sum, only to make way for a new issue to be funded in like manner…they will get throe' the winter, but I cannot conceive how they are to feed & cloth their thin armies…credit gone, impressment must fail by its own operations-men will cease to produce…your father D[avid] A. J. Near fine.
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