Beschreibung:

Lot of 71 Civil War letters from soldiers serving in New York regiments including the 44th NY “Ellsworth’s Avengers,” Excelsior Brigade, and the 96th US Colored Troops. Highlights include: A hastily penned letter was written by Henry H. Hitchcock of the 12th New York, Co. A to his father on July 19, 1861 from camp near Bull’s Run, just 3 miles north of Manassas Gap. Hitchcock describes the skirmishing in the lead up to the First Battle of Bull Run, “Had a battle with the Rebels. New York 12th & 1st Mass. went into a piece of woods to drive the Rebels out. Fired 7 or 8 rounds. Lost about 20 men in both, I guess. Am safe. Expect to have another row before long. Battle lasted about 2 hours; don’t know how many we killed of them. Weather hot. Was in the hottest of the fight. All but 3 companies of our regiment retreated. Companies A, I, & part of E stood our ground. Our officers Captain Church, Wood & Randall are true men – stood firm like good soldiers I tell you. Can’t write much more. I have not time.” Hitchcock survived the Battle but was wounded on Aug. 23, 1861 at Ball’s Cross Roads, VA and would die of disease on Sept. 21, 1861 in Washington DC at E Street Infirmary. An interesting letter is penned by Henry F. Babcock of the 122nd NY, Co. I who was stationed in Washington DC in the War Department during December 1863. In a letter to friends on December 7, he describes the scene in the capital when the Goddess of Liberty was raised to the top of the newly finished capitol dome and the salute of guns to celebrate the event, “At half past 12 o’clock a signal was given that all was complete and then arose one deafening cheer from the vast assemblage. The signal was conveyed to the many forts around this city and for half hour it was one continual roar of heavy artillery.” He also mentions the arrival of the Russian Fleet in the Potomac. While historians are divided on the motivations of Alexander II, Babcock formed his own theories for their presence, “They are fine model wooden vessels to be sure but our Ironclad the Sangamon, which was at this navy yard a few days ago, would blow them all out of the water in less than no time. I think it is the object of their visit to get the secret of our monitors and the heavy metal which they carry. I don’t think Uncle Sam will let them into these important secrets, right off at least. I think he is foolish if he does.” Joseph W. Foster was originally enlisted into Co. A of the 110th NY on Aug. 1, 1862. Military records note that on Nov. 13, 1863 he was detached with the 2nd Louisiana Engineers and then joined the Corps de Afrique, which became the 96th USCT, per the orders of Gen. Banks in April 1864. Foster was white, as indicated by his vital statistics, and seems to have entered into the 96th as a 2nd Lieut., and at some point promoted to 1st Lieut./Adjutant. Included in this archive are three letters written by Foster, two when he was still serving with the 110th, and a fascinating letter penned on May 24, 1864 to a friend (possibly brother) when he was stationed on Matagorda Island, TX with the 96th USCT. He writes of the failure at Matagorda Island, “These are gloomy times for us in the Department of the Gulf, at least it seems so to me. General Banks with his grand army has fallen back to Lines Port a small place near the mouth of the Red River. We are daily expecting transports to take us to New Orleans, and from there we expect to be sent up to the front. Matagorda Island is to be evacuated and the fortifications we have been months in constructing are to be left for our enemies.” He also reminisces a riveting story of searching the residence of a southern woman when they were informed that a soldier had been murdered there. When searching for a missing revolver he questions the woman, “I said madam we have good reason for thinking that you have a revolver concealed about your person. Now I expect you to tell me the truth. Have you got a revolver about your person? She said it w