October 2014 Auction Ends Thursday, October 30th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/30/2014
Civil War letter lot by Sergeant James W. Libby of the 7th Maine Infantry, Co. K, with graphic battle content from the Seige of Yorktown, Battle of Dranesville, Battle of Williamsburg and other conflicts in the Peninsula Campaign. Nearly all of the 11 letters are addressed to Libby's cousin Clara Knowlton in North Leeds, ME. On 30 December 1861 he writes, ''...It was a hard bunch, but our troops made a charge on them and they took to their heels and there was another Bull Run scene enacted, only the other side done the running. I thought that rebels could not run fast, but they are swift on the foot if they see a bayonet pointing at their mug. We got 300 knapsacks, killed and wounded 400, got some papers of importance, and made a fine thing of it. The Battle of Drainsville...'' By spring Libby is stationed near Alexandria, VA, and his 22 March 1862 letter mentions fellow soldiers Walter Boothly and Page Francis. It reads in part, ''...When we left Camp Griffin, we went for Manassas and Bull Run, but before we got within 15 mile of there, the rebels had all fled...I hope to get home and see some good in the world, yet this will not be a bad thing for me if I die here. I will die an honorable death. If I get home, I am determined to live an honorable life...'' During the Siege of Yorktown, on 14 April 1862 from Warwick, Courthouse VA he writes, ''...At two o'clock we came in sight of their camp and a fort and we had got within rifle shot of it before we saw it on account of the thick woods. They saw us and fired, our co being on the left of the regt. we were the only co. in sight. We returned the fire when they began to give us grape and canister. One of the batteries came up and began to shell them, drove them from the fort. They went into the woods and kept a firing at us with their rifle until dark. We did not give ground an inch. We could not get to them because they had burned the bridge...'' A letter from ''Camp near Rogers Church, VA'', dated 17 May 1862 reads, ''...For most of time our regt. did not loose a man although the cold lead fell thick and fast for a while. For what we done we have the name of the Battle Williamsburg printed on our banner that was the 5th of May. We stoped until the 7th to bury the dead and take care of the wounded. It was awful to hear poor wretches shreak and groan while the sergeans were dressing their wound. They can't stand pain like us Yankeys...Rebel soldiers are going into camp every day and giving themselves up, say they are sick of it...'' Five days later he reports, ''...We have just been having another big fight out here at Fredericksburg. We were in Hedgewick's Corps. You can gain more information from the papers than I can write it. Was a hard fight and many a poor fellow lost his life there and nothing gained by it. Our little regt lost very heavily. Albert Rose was slightly wounded. Baboon Jennys had his leg nearly severed at the knee. We were retreating at the time. I carried him as far as I could, bound his leg, and run for life. Since then nothing has been heard from him and we have almost given him up as dead...'' On 18 July 1863 from Berlin, MD Libby mentions Frank Longe of the 16th, and George Neal and Coswell of the 3rd. On 29 May 1863 he reports, ''...May 3rd being Sunday was a lovely day before we started for Fredericksburg...Just as we rose the hill, we got a volley of musketry, we halted and stood our ground until we drove them back, then for a while hostilities seased. We marched back for our knapsacks and got breakfast...About 4 o'clock the advance were met by a strong force. We were soon in line of battle and lay down...Soon we became aware that rebels were around, got some coffee, and watched the rebs while eating. We were fighting and skirmishin' most the time until 12 o'clock when we got a rest until 5, then they came in earnest. We fought as best we could but all in vain...We were too weak for them. They mowed us down like sheep. The grunts and groans that one would see and hear that night were enough to make the stoutest man infant...We fell back to United States Fort 4 1/2 miles from Fredericksburg and crossed at the river under fire of artillery, but being foggey, they did but little damage...as it is always, I saw some agent of the Devil gave them strength and we could not break their lines...'' Letter dated 11 August 1863 from Camp at Warrenton Springs, VA reads, ''...We have lost so many by sickness and battles that we are quite small...but what is remaining are the pure grit...'' J.W. Libby re-enlisted in December, was transferred in August to the 1st ME Veteran Infantry and sustained a wound in May of 1864 at Spotsylvania Court House. In February of 1865 he was transferred to the 1st ME Sharpshooters, Co. E. Lot also includes a letter dated 16 April 1985 from ''your brother Henry'' reading, ''...we received sad news last knight from Washington. It was that our President was dead...Who could be so wicked...What are we again to do without Old Abe...'' Also included are 7 other war-dated letters to Clara Knowlton and a handful of her civilian letters immediately preceding and following the war. Soldier letters show quite a lot of splitting along fold lines, else very good.
Lot of 11 Civil War Battle Letters -- ''...They mowed us down like sheep. The grunts and groans...that night were enough to make the stoutest man infant...the Devil gave them strength...''
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