February 2017 Auction Ends Thursday, February 23rd, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
Civil War archive of 18 letters by James A. Hudson of the 1st New York Cavalry (Lincoln's Cavalry), Co. H. Archive also includes a CDV of fellow soldier James Potter, who worked as a farrier (blacksmith who specializes in shoeing horses) in the 1st NY Cavalry. Hudson writes from 1861-64 regarding fighting and POW's taken during the 2nd Battle of Winchester and also of an intense skirmish at Sharpsburg, MD just three days after the Battle of Antietam, where Hudson's horse was wounded. He also writes in detail about his cousin's death at the Battle of White Oak Swamp, where they fought together; it wasn't until later that he discovered the cousin was severely wounded and not killed. All letters are to Hudson's cousin, John Blauvelt.
Letters start in August 1861 with news of poisoning, ''...There are 2 secession houses within 250 yds of us, at one of them 8 of Anderson's Zouave's were poisoned yesterday and died this morning. The poison was given in milk. One man was shot while attempting to poison a well on our camp grounds and 1 1/2 of arsenic found on him...Passed Baltimore without any trouble...Report states tonight that the rebles are crossing in force within 3 miles of our camp. We are unarmed but we care not for them as our camp is surrounded by at least 30000 armed troops...'' In September he writes of securing his horse, a ''very dark Iron Grey in shape and appearance'' and their encampment ''between forts Elsworth which is in front of us and fort Taylor which is behind us on still higher ground.'' He celebrates the news of taking Fort Donelson on 19 February 1862, ''...You have no doubt heard the good news from Tenn. It was rec'd in camp last night with cheers and firing of minute guns, salutes...the battle of Bull Run No. 2 will be a far different affair than the one of last spring...'' In April 1862 Hudson is on the schooner Challenge at anchor, where ''we have 53 horses they fill up all the deck room from the fore nest to the qr. deck and stand very closely packed...Last night a rumor reached us that Rebs had evacuated Yorktown and fallen back 6 miles to some entrenchments to which they have thrown up during the past month. Sharp work has been going on between the pickets, several have been killed & wounded...and probably as many of the enemy...''
On 21 July 1862, Hudson writes of their mutual cousin being severely wounded at the Battle of White Oak Swamp, where Hudson fought as well, ''...a shell struck and exploded in the battery wagon shattering it with kindling wood and killing several horses. Bill [William J. Blauvelt of the 3rd New York Light Artillery] was at the time in charge of the swing team of this ill fated wagon...Bill was apparently struck by a piece of that shell as he fell to the ground and tossed about in agony a fiew seconds then arose on his feet, walked a fiew paces, staggered and fell. Just then the battery was hard pressed and an order to limber up was given and change position. From that time nothing more was seen of him and all think he is dead, untill in the 'Herald of July 18th' his name appears among the wounded taken to Fortress Monroe. What the extent or nature of his wound is not stated, simply the name and address 'Blauvelt, W.J. 3rd New York Artillery, Mott's Battery.' He was highly respected and his supposed death cast a gloom over many and this paragraph in the Herald caused great rejoicing in the battery. Their total loss was 20 killed, more than half the remainder wounded and several missing. They also lost between 30 & 40 horses, 5 caissons which were blown up by the Rebels shells...1 gun, a 10lb Parrott rifle...had to be left on the field for want of horses...it was of no use to the enemy...they have already recd 50 new horses...''
Hudson then writes on 22 September 1862 of an intense skirmish at Sharpsburg, only three days after Antietam was fought there, ''...have got into a fiew scrapes and been lucky enough to get out of them all with whole skins...My mare reced a slight wound in the leg by a piece of busted shell night before last and a fellow at my side next me was struck in the leg just above the knee by a musket ball. This is about the nearest I have come to being hit although balls whistled past much nearer my head than was agreeable...'' In the next letter, Hudson asks, ''...Well Old Abe has been driveing his quill again. What do you think of the message? How do you like his proposed terms for a settlement?...'' followed by a 15 August 1863 letter on the 2nd Battle of Winchester. Here, Hudson defends General Milroy and states that most of the POWs from his regiment escaped after capture: ''...Perhaps you wonder what luck our reg. had in getting out of Winchester...25 to 30 will cover our whole loss, more than twice this number escaped after being made prisoners. All of my company then started from Berryville have turned up beside 5, and of these, 3 we know to be prisoners. When the Rebs came on us in the Valley, Milroy's whole effective force did not exceed 6000 including our Berryville Brigade. At Martinsburg we numbered less than 1200. Milroy is called a coward by a part of the Northern Press & is now being Court Martialed in Washington. When the proceedings of this court are published, some people will for the first time read a history that will be no disgrace to our name...'' Hudson finishes the letters by discussing cowardice in an attempt to avoid service, the ''pretty little maidens'' in Martinsburg, WV and his Burnside Carbine which ''never miss except when we take them on the run. But...we cannot always take them in the head...Business (Reb. hunting) is dull. I don't mean that exactly, the hunting is brisk enough, but the game is scarce...'' Some letters include covers, all are in very good, legible condition, with near complete transcriptions.
CDV & 18 Letter Lot by 1st NY Cavalryman on Battles of 2nd Winchester, White Oak Swamp & Fighting at Sharpsburg After Antietam -- ''...Bill...fell to the ground and tossed about in agony...''
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