Raynors HCA 2017-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/1/2017
A remarkable pair of war-date letters showing the division created by the war between Northern and Southern families. Union General William T. Brooks and Mrs. John Hanson Thomas of Baltimore were related through marriage. Mrs. Thomas was related to Brooks' wife. Her husband was an unapologetic Southerner who was a member of the Maryland State Legislature when the war began. He had tried to pass an act of Secession to pull Maryland out of the Union in 1861 which got him arrested. He was subsequently confined at Forts McHenry and Fort Warren until he was released to the custody of the U. S. War Department. Here we offer two letters. Both Northerner, the first letter is a 1p. 4to. War Department letter written by Chief Clerk John Potts to Mrs. John Hanson Thomas acknowledging her letter to the War Department that apparently referenced the mistaken belief that Major General Brooks had been mortally wounded during a recent battle. Actually, she had mistaken him for Brig. Gen. John R. Brooke who was critically wounded, but not killed during the battle of Cold Harbor. Next, we have a war-date Union general's manuscript letter, 3pp. 8vo., by Major General William Thomas Harbaugh Brooks (1821-1870), 10th Corps, [before Petersburg, Va.], June 21, 1864 addressed "My Dear Mrs. Thomas", reading, in part: "I can not express the gratitude I feel for your kind letter. It found me in great distress caused by the reception of a letter from her sister giving an account of the reception by my dear wife of the same horrible news you had of me. She was for twenty four hours without scarce a hope of its being a mistake. You who knows her can well imagine her misery. They were on their way to Nashville and were stopping for a few days at their cousins…by this time I presume they are on their way back …I am very thankful for your kind offer to communicate information of my movements. I would have telegraphed her after the battle when Col. Brooke was mortally wounded, but I was uncertain about her movements. I shall never fail again…the bloody work still goes on without much if any advantage to either side. It looks very much as if June than "all summer" will be needed to finish the work on "this line". I hope you will not have anymore cause of unhappiness about your boy. [Capt. J. Hanson Thomas as aide de camp to Gen. Loring.] If you keep the [?] of military affairs you will perceive I have been advanced in my command-if not in rank. I am in command of the Corps B. F. B. [Benjamin F. Butler] is my special patron-which is somewhat unaccountable to me….accept my thanks…W. T. Brooks." Also included is the original War Department transmittal cover free franked by John Potts and postmarked Washington, D. C., June 22, 1864. All three pieces are overall near fine. (2 letters)
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