RARE US CIVIL WAR Archive/all orig/5 CW Envelopes/3 Union Passes/Photo/Record Bk

Description: RARE US CIVIL WAR Archive/all orig/5 CW Envelopes/3 Union Passes/Photo/Record Bk An important and historically significant small US Civil War archive dealing with THE SIEGE OF PETERSBURG between June 1864 to March 1865; comprising 10 period items: 1 original black and white real photograph of the Mortar Dictator in front of Petersburg (unpublished but very similar to a David Knox photograph appearing in Vol. 3 p. 187 of "The Photographic History of the Civil War", Robert Lanier ed NY 1911, showing a railroad flatcar mounted with full artillery crew - measuring 3.5 in. square with hand written caption reading "Petersburg Express" now a monument on the Capitol grounds Hartford Conn (Yankee Morter (sic)" Three hand-written military 24 hr. passes to Richmond Virginia signed by various officers and all dated to November and December 1864 and all for soldiers with Company K 3rd Regiment 1st Division measuring on average 3 x 4/5 in. 5 Civil War envelopes all unused and in near fine condition with printed 1 and 2 color vignettes of a political and/or patriotic nature - the rarest perhaps showing an octagon of Union blockade ships at various labelled Confederate ports and a mouse and rats with Harpers Ferry in the center and the caption "When I wish to catch rats, I first stop their holes" Gen'l Scott. envelopes measuring 5.5 x 3 in. And finally a 3.5 x 5 in. lined notebook with front cover only bearing faint pencilled title "Poll(?) Book of Co. K _____(?), string bound containing four pages of Surnames each carrying a single letter at end of each name (D, A, I, S) which we take to signify Dead, Active/Alive, Injured and Sick. Recently discovered at an estate - and here offered for the first time anywhere - a small archive of original Civil War documents relating to the "Petersburg Express" and the Siege of Petersburg, Virginia in late 1864. The group of 10 items are important because they provide a rare look into one of the most significant military campaigns of the final year of the American Civil War. From June 1864 to March 1865, Union troops continuously besieged and harassed the Confederate railroad hub city of Petersburg, Virginia and surrounding environs in hopes of depleting both the Confederate Army and its nearby capital city, Richmond, of supplies and munitions. During those grueling nine months, heavy artillery played a central role in the eventual success of the Union's Campaign, which forced the Confederate Army to abandon Petersburg in March of 1865 and move westward toward Appomattox, where Robert E. Lee surrendered about three weeks later. One of the most storied heavy artillery units of the Petersburg campaign was the First Connecticut Heavy Artillery. Dispatched to join the siege in May 1864, the First Connecticut "Heavies" were tasked with manning a massive, 13-inch mortar that was pivotal in decimating Confederate defenses surrounding Petersburg. Often referred to as the "Petersburg Express" or the "Dictator" the 17,000 pound mortar was so heavy that it was kept mounted to a railroad car in order to allow troops to reposition it. The "Petersburg Express" fired up to 19 cannonballs weighing 225 pounds each, expending nearly 20 pounds of gunpowder with each shot. In the 1890s, decades after the Civil War's end a Connecticut veterans group began lobbying for a monument commemorating the brave actions of the Connecticut heavy artillery units that were so instrumental to the Siege of Petersburg's success. After locating what they believed to be the very same "Petersburg Express" mortar at Fort Monroe, Virginia and transporting it to Connecticut, the veterans group proceeded to raise over $6000 with $1000 provided by the state to mount the mortar on a granite pedestal on the ground of the State Capitol in Hartford. The monument was formally dedicated amid a crowd of thousands on September 25, 1902, on the anniversary of the mustering out of the First Connecticut heavy Artillery. . The photo contained in this small archive bears a hand written caption alluding to this new monument at the Hartford Capitol grounds - however given the nature of this photograph it has been tentatively dated to the late 1860s or early 1870s. An albumen print measuring 7.5 x 10 in of this same image and most likely dating to 1864 was sold at auction for nearly $4000 recently. The photographer David Knox made a few images of that day and group of Connecticut artillery men - some in uniforms some in civilian dress - with slight changes in their positions and stances. Ours appears to be a variation of the published image in Gardner's photographic Sketch book of the War. The envelopes were no doubt retained by the soldier who originally owned these items - and never used them - they would no doubt have contained news of the war, the soldier himself and certainly news of injury, death or sickness. The record book gives a 4 page list of names with the all too common letter "D" after their names. We contacted the Connecticut historical society in Hartford - who were extremely eager to have this entire group of 10 items donated to them for prominent display and research in their museum and archive. So should any kind son of Connecticut wish to bid and obtain this small archive they will have to option of donating this lot to their home state with no doubt the sincere thanks of the historical society. The documents have all been subsequently safely enveloped in plastic sleeves and the whole in a small book sized lidded box labelled "Archive US Civil War documents & Photo 1864 "Petersburg Express". It is our sincere hope the grouping finds a good home, perhaps even in the great state of Connecticut. Successful bidders please note: INSURANCE on all items over $100 strongly recommended. SELLER WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE IN ANY WAY FOR CARRIERS DAMAGE, LOSS, BREAKAGE OF ANY KIND OR DEGREE . Any insurance claims MUST BE the responsibility of the successful bidder. Payment due within seven days of auction's end. 1 Day handling time and 14 day return policy. It is the responsibility of the prospective buyer to inquire as to the condition of a specific lot before bidding. Any condition statement is given as a courtesy to a client, is only an opinion and should not be treated as a statement of fact. Seller shall have no responsibility for any error or omission. Please review all of the information and photographs before requesting additional information. We will respond as quickly as possible. All sales are final unless seller has significantly misrepresented auctioned item. No seller refund shipping and/or any handling expense.please CONTACT SELLER DIRECTLY prior to posting feedback - we sincerely want our customers to be happy with their purchases and would be more than happy to address any and all of your concerns.PLEASE NOTE: All books sent media mail which can take UP TO 2 WEEKS IN SOME CASES FOR DELIVERY , unless successful bidder requests otherwise. Thanks for looking . Thanks for your cooperation !Finally we are strongly green and use recycled packing material in over 95% of our shippings. 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Price: 299.99 USD

Location: Rancho Palos Verdes, California

End Time: 2024-12-01T03:00:03.000Z

Shipping Cost: 14.95 USD