Rare Andersonville Letter & More

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/23/2017

A rare war-date Union POW's letter written from Andersonville Prison Camp at Sumter, Georgia by Pvt. Israel Gibson, Co. D, 40th Penn. Vols. (11th Reserves) who was apparently captured during the opening of Grant's Overland Campaign and who unfortunately died on Sept. 26, 1864 at Andersonville while a POW. His body now lies in grave number H-9776 at that site's National Cemetery. Andersonville letters are a rare find in the marketplace and as with all Union POW letters this letter is limited to one 8vo. sheet. Gibson's letter, to his wife Mary, reads, in part: "May 27th 1864…My dear wife, This is the second letter that I have written…since I was taken prisoner. I am under the providence of God, enjoying good health…we are now at Camp Sumpter, Sumpter County, Georgia but I hope that we will soon be paroled or exchanged and then I will be home…and I think [I] will stay at home. We don't get any news here how things are going on. I would like to hear how you are getting along as I have heard nothing since I was taken. We get enough to eat but there is too many of us here in camp to avoid sickness if we stay long…I hope for the better so Mary keep good heart and I will do the same…Israel Gibson. I think it is not worth while for you to write at present." Next is a, 1p. 4to., letter by Israel's wife Mary on August 2, 1864, to her father, informing him of her husband's fate, in part: "…I had a letter from Israel yesterday. It was wrote on the fourteenth of May. He was in Danville [Prison] Virginia then. He was well. He is a prisoner of was. He says they [have] enough to eat. He says they have no reason to complain of their treatment…Mary E. Gibson…". The original stamped patriotic transmittal cover is included. Then there are two war-date letters written by Israel. The first letter written, while Israel was serving in the 40th is, 4pp. 8vo., datelined "Camp near Culpeper, Va., May 3, [1864], in his father-in-law, in part: "…dear friend, It is with pleasure that I seat myself to inform you that I am well…I would have written to you sooner but we have had busy times here…I came to the conclusion to try soldiering as an only resort from being drafted…I hope to be spared to get through safe and that through the providence of God that all my friends may be spared…I saw John Carnahan & W. Mahan. Their regiments lies within one mile of us…I see very little change on line. We are now pretty handy to the rebels and expect to hear of an awful fight soon and perhaps [we will] have a chance to pitch in ourselves…we have a good prospect of being victorious…if we gain this battle I have some hopes that the war will come to a close but if we are defeated it will be hard to tell when it will end. We have an army of two hundred thousand men and perhaps it may reach fifty thousand more…i suppose that you will think it strange for me to leave my little family and come to the army, but I consider it my duty to endure the hardships to save our country from Southern rule…there is plenty of men that could leave better than me but they would rather stay at home and do all they can against us. You have no idea what effect Cooperheadism has unless you were here and see letters that are sent here but thank God they pay no attention to them…Israel Gibson…address, Co. D, 11th reg. P. R. C. Washington D. C." The second letter, is also written to his father-in-law, is rather newsy in content. This letter is dated May 9, 1863. Plus there are three Gibson family transmittal covers and a small hard-bound Sunday school printed book, entitled "The Vine" with the name (one of Israel's nephews) Madison Carnahan inside. Expected soiling and wear, else VG

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