Raynors HCA 2018-03
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/15/2018
Correspondance grouping of Civil War letters by W.H. Newcomb a Baltimore merchant to his sister in Mississippi, and follows through with Newcomb being a member of the Pay Master Department in the Union Army and his sister moving to Vermont, includes: Autograph Letter Signed by W. H. Newcomb, 11pp. octavo, Baltimore, April 9 1861, and reads in part: “...The troubles in our country have remained so long in status quo and the prospect of a settlement in any way is so poor that I have become apathetic and read anything on the subject in the papers with a feeling of nausea & disgust...You aske what the prospect is in regard to peace or war. That is exactly what everybody wants to know...All the movements & designs of the government are a profound secret...Two or three weeks ago we expected to see Sumter evacuated but now we dont know that there is any such more entertained. My opinion is that our govt means to do all that it can to secure peace, but whether it can to be secured for a great while without acknowledging the independence of the South & giving up Pickens & Sumter is very doubtful...I am in favor of a peacable separation allowing all the states to go with the south that want to. There are numerous causes of war in the matter such as the collection of duties, the forts, & c....I will not fight on either side should there be a war. Maryland will join the south in a final separation...” Fine condition...plus; ALS by Newcombe, 2pp. octavo, April 22, 1861, and reads in part: “...War has commenced here. Last Friday a battle was fought between Northern soldiers who were attempting to pass thro to Washn. & citizens. Eleven citizens & four Mass soldiers were killed & many wounded. The battle was kept up all the way from the Philada to the Washn Depot. About 20 thousand citizens are under arms. An army of several thousand Penna. troops are encamped 10 miles from the city. Whether they will attempt to go on to W & fight a bloody fight or not is uncertain. I never saw such a Sunday as yesterday. Soldiers every where. Some churchs were broken up in the midst of sermon. It looks as if Maryland was to be the battle ground...” Fine condition...plus; ALS by Newcomb, 3pp. quarto, Baltimore, November 18, 1861, and reads in part: “... the interesting topic still is the victory in So. Carolina, and later, the capture of Mason & Slidell. The secessionist hope a war with England will be provoked by the manner of the arrest of these two rascals, they being taken from a British steamer, but the Union men have no fear. Our Baptist Dr. Fuller owns a plantation & slaves at Beaufort and they say some of his cotton has been taken. An expedition has been sent form here to operate against armed rebels on the Eastern shore of Va. Four thousand men are concentrated there & commencing operations. At our recent state election the Union majority was 31,000. The principal secesh district is about Charles & St. Mary Counties. A Dent was elected Southern Rights delegate to Legislature from S.t Mary’s...” Fine condition....plus; ALS by Newcomb, 3pp. octavo, Pay Department, Washington, October 1, 1864, and reads in part: “...I went down to Petersburg last Thursday...There was a pretty brisk fight took place near where we were paying Thursday night at about nine oclock. I was quite exhilerating. The musketry & artillery firing was very heavy. At four oclock next morning the 2d, 5th, & 9th Corps were ready to move to Reams Station...That afternoon they had a fight near Reams Statio. But the great fight is going on on the North side of James River. Our forces are within three or four miles of Richmond. The boat we returned on brought Gen. Ord commander of the 18th Corps wounded and the body of Gen. Burnham of Maine killed....Grant is making things howl about Richmond...
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