Raynors HCA 2017-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017
A good early war-date Union minuteman's letter, 2 1/2pp. 4to., written by Sergeant James A. Bailey, Co. E, 5th Mass. (3 Months) Vols., Alexandria, Va., July 14, 1861, to his friend, in part: "…today we have sent about a dozen drunkards to the lockup & we have 3 or 4 here now…the Zouaves brought in 4 prisoners, 3 of them are soldiers belonging to the Alabama regiment & the other is a citizen who was their guide. 15 of them were out scouting [when] these 4 were taken. The rest look leg bail. These fellows are pretty good looking men. One of them especially. He is a graduate of Harvard College. I have had a long talk with him. He is a young fellow about 23 years old…he says the rebels are spoiling for a fight…they will soon get a belly full…every day for a week a regiment has past through here & this afternoon 3 more have gone on. There was one called the Garibaldi Guards [39th New York] the hardest lot of merchants you ever saw. They are composed of Italians, Germans, Frenchmen and all the rest of the devils of New York. They went through here singing like good fellows. Most of them have sen service in their own country and any of them would kill a man as quick a[s] look at him. They are hard nuts…I saw the Mozart regiment [40th New York] come in…we have had some mighty hot weather here lately but now it is very cool so that we war our overcoats at night…I had to take those 4 prisoners to Gen. McDowell at Arlington heights & from there to Washington to Gen. Mansfield. They asked them all kind of questions & then they were taken to jail…there has been a sharp fight in the Western part of this state [Falling Waters, July 13]…there is going to be some more done…in a day or so. Our regiment has been ordered to get ready for a march…they say that 30,000 troops are going to advance within 2 days…there will be a strong smell of gun powder somewhere…Jim Bailey. P. S. If you or Kidder would like a couple of hundred Niggers or any other little job done. I can do it…". Included with this letter is a calling card inscribed by both Sergeant Bailey and one of his Alabama prisoners. One one side is inscribed: "D. D. Fiquet, Tuskaloosa, (sic) Ala." by Pvt. Dominique Deux Fiquet 5th Alabama Infantry while on the other Bailey penned his name: "Sergt. J. A. Bailey, Co. E, 5th Regt. M. V. M." The letter's condition has some weak folds, else VG. The cling cards condition is near fine. 500-700
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.