December 2012 Auction Ends Tuesday, December 18th, 5pm Pacific
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/18/2012
Incredible lot of Civil War letters, photos and personally owned items of Private Owen Weed Nims of 12th Iowa Infantry, Co. H. Nims, originally of Maquoketa, Iowa, enlisted on 23 October 1861 at the age of 19. He saw action in February of 1862 at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee, and was listed as missing in action 6 April 1862 at Shiloh (he was captured at ''The Hornet's Nest''). He was injured but recovered and was discharged 23 August 1862. Archive consists of (1) 12 Civil War-dated letters by Nims plus two letter fragments, (2) a sixth plate tintype of Nims in uniform, (3) an 8'' x 10'' period print made from this image, (4) a ''Prayer Meeting Tune Book'' with inscription ''presented to Nims while a prisoner at __ Georgia by Captain S. Bradley of the Rebb Army May 16th 1862'', (5) reunion materials including 2 reunion ribbons, a reunion medal and a 1895 reunion booklet, (6) photocopies of Nims' military file. The 14 letters are dated from 21 January 1862 to 16 December 1864 and are written to various family members. Nims vividly describes the fighting at Fort Donelson, as well as being captured at Shiloh and as a Prisoner of War. First undated letter from Fort Donelson, Cumberland River: ''My Dear Parents...I will now tell you soemthing about the fight. Wee left Fort Henry Wednesday morning the 12 and started for the fort, it being about 12 miles. We arrived within a mile of the fort and then picked guard was sent you, I being one of them. It was a bright moonlight. Wee could almost evry where a round ous. There was three at one place and two would sleep while the other was guard. The next morning, wee cam still nigher. Wee came withing about three hundred yards of the entrnchments and then the sharp shooters commenced. Wee took our station under the brow of the hill and expected an attack Thursday night. It rained untill ten o'clock and then it commenced snowing and I had to lay on the cold wet ground with out any blanket. That was the worst night that I ever saw. Mother, that mad me think of home. You don't know how I suffered. A bout 4 o'clock in the morning wee was orderd back a peice in the wood and another Reg. took our place and wee mad soem fire and got warmed up a little and then wee were orderd back to relieve the others and let them warm them selves. Skirmishing went on untill Saurday afternoon and the fight become general. The fighting lasted one hour and a half and I heard bullets came about as close as I cared about having them. Mother, there was one poor man that I left sorry for, there was two me got wounded by grape shot, one had his leg shot off or just so it hung on and the other fell right on me. You don't know how thankfull I was that I did not get killed. It was God that keep me throug the battle...'' Second letter, datelined Fort Donelson 27 February to his brother, reads in part: ''...It's very pleasent weather down here in Tenn. Wee had a thunder shower and in the night it thundred quite hard and it made me think of the time wee had taking the Fort Con. I don't think you would liked very much to have benn where I was. I tell you Con, the bullets whisled prety close to me, so close that they wounded a man and he fell right on to me and another one, just the other side of his leg shot off just below the knee. Con if you was here in the Fort you might find power and lead enough for to shoot your rifle all your life time you can pick up bullets almost evry where...'' Third letter, datelined Nashville on 16 June 1862, mentions his capture at the Battle of Shiloh: ''My dear mother, I suppose it has been a great while since you have heard from me. I suppose you have heard of the battle of Shilo where we was taken prisoners. We was taken just half past 5 in the evening. We were sent immediately to Memphis and there I wrote a few lines to you and now I am going to write a few more. I have been well most of the time. While we were prisoners we are now a waiting orders from General Halbeck...'' Including is envelope reading ''paroled prisoner of war''. Other letters discuss men dying from disease, the weather, his homesickness and conditions at Benton Barracks, Missouri, where many of his remaining letters are datelined. Letters have expected light fading and toning, some chipping at edges and fold lines, overall very good condition and legible. One letter dated 13 October is more faded. Most measure 7'' x 10''; some are smaller measuring roughly 5'' x 8''. Prayer Meeting Tune Book measures 4'' x 6'' with a worn cover; reunion brochure measures 5.5'' x 8.25'' and is in very good condition; reunion ribbons have minor discoloration; tintype measures 3.25'' x 3.5'' and is missing the cover of its union case; period print measures 8'' x 10'' with a chip along right edge and significant wear. Overall very good condition. An exceptional lot with fantastic first-hand account at Fort Donelson. Accompanied by transcriptions for all letters.
Shiloh POW Letter & Photo Lot -- Fort Donelson: ''...bullets came as close as I cared having them. Mother...one poor man...had his leg shot off just so it hung on and the other fell right on me...''
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