Raynors HCA 2019-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/21/2019
A most unusual and rather curious war-date Union non-commissioned officer's complaint letter. This letter borders on gross insubordination with 1st Sgt. Amos L. Griffith of the 5th Tenn. Cavalry accusing his superiors with wanton neglect of duty, stealing, cowardice, and among other things, passing the buck when it came to discipline in his command. Field press printed while Griffith's unit served in Tennessee, 2pp. 8vo., "Nashville," Tenn., April 21, 1864, to Major General "Geo. H. Thomas" Commanding Department of "the Cumberland" his scathing letter, reads, in small part: "…where a company boards at half a dozen places…is the Orderly Sergeant bound to make out regular and irregular details, notify the men and have them ready to start on a scout…at a moment's notice? Where there is no roll-call..is the Orderly Sergeant…[who is] bound to make out a correct report…and take it to the adjutant's head-quarters by 8 A. M. If the orderly Sergeant tries to get the privates to fall into roll-call and [the] privates tell him to go to hell is the Orderly Sergeant bound to go there?…who is responsible for the conduct of the men, the captain or Orderly Sergeant? If the Orderly Sergeant is responsible…ought [should] the captain…interfere and turn a private loose who is put under arrest for disobeying orders…in cavalry service how often must the Orderly Sergeant notify a private to go on duty…is the Sergeant bound to catch and saddle…their horses…[can the Sergeant] take said privates up by the nape of the neck and seat of the breeches and put them in their saddles?…when the Colonel [William B. Stokes] Commanding…sees and knows that the men…are unruly, how often ought the Orderly Sergeant report to the Colonel men who fail to go on duty…after serving as Orderly Sergeant…over thirteen months, the company being disorderly, unruly…being troublesome generally, and using every exertion to get the Orderly Sergeant to resign and retire to private life so they could get the high position of first Sergeant…if the Colonel…tells…that he is afraid of his men…don't you think such a Colonel ought to resign…if there is…killing men, a day or two after they surrender, carried on by the men of a Regiment…ought no one to stop it…has commissioned officers…any right to take horses from the enemy and sell them…if so…may be a great use to my wife and sick boy as my present wages ($20 per month) is not sufficient to pay…house rent, seven dollars per cord of wood, water tax, clothing, rations and Lord…knows how much the doctor will charge…it has already cost me over five hundred dollars since September 1st last…General…make me a shoulder-strap man, it pays better…could not you swap places…let the captain act as sergeant…and the Sergeant act Captain…I would like to see it. If this…is too long, take some sunday for it…so is the Army of the Cumberland. Amos L. Griffith, 1st Sergeant, Company F 5th Tenn. Cavalry. Note-It is not deemed advisable to publish names at present." As historians of Civil War letters know. It is not unusual to find letters from soldiers expressing complaints about undisciplined or even unjust commanders, but Griffith took his dissatisfaction one step further, had his letter printed and risked arrest by over stepping the regular chain of command and sent the letter directly to his department commander Gen. George Thomas. Apparently, this was not the only time he sent this letter to Thomas as a reporter from the New York Times published this same exact letter with the reporter proclaiming, "I think by all odds that this is the queerest war document of the day." Negligible stains, else VG
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