Raynors HCA 2019-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/30/2019
A great late antebellum Virginia secession/slavery related letter, 7pp. 8vo., written by future Confederate hospital steward, George W. Emmons, Petersburg, Va., Feb. 4, 1861, to his sister giving his predictions on the fate of Virginia after she secedes from the Union, in part: "…political excitement is about the only thing to speak of and that is becoming more and more exciting wan war-like as each day comes and goes. This day an election is held through the state for the purpose of electing delegates to a convention to be held in Richmond (Va.) on the 13th inst. to cast their vote as to remaining or going out of the Union, or in other words secession or not…after these commissioners shall have met and decided or given in their respective votes, it is then referred back to the people whether to secede or not…the commissioners after all cannot decide this important question, but the people themselves are to decide it sometime this month…as to how the result will be it is impossible for us to tell…although if the people were voting to decide the question this day instead of two weeks from now, they would decide for Union, but in two weeks from now I think they will vote very strongly the other was-viz. secession unless the republicans at the north make such concessions as Virginia now demands…my opinion is that the (the Republicans) will do no such thing, however I may ere in my judgement. They are stubborn and will not give an inch…there are two distinct kinds of Republicans-viz. one who are in favor of preserving the Union and will make many concessions…and the other is a class who are anxiously wishing for the dissolution of the Union, thinking thereby to extinguish slavery, at least, in the border states, for they think the South would not long hold together in case they all…were to secede…there are hardly a doz. men in the party…who think just alike. Now, while this election is being held, commissioners have been appointed…to meet each other in convention in Washington D. C. for the purpose of forming some compromise…Va. and the rest of the Southern States that have met in this convention are to make demands upon the north which if they should be complied with, the question is them left to the people of this and other states…to decide whether they will…remain in the Union…such a complicated and mixed up mess of affairs we never had before…my opinion…is that there will be a final separation between the north & south and that all of the fifteen states south will join together, this forming a southern confederacy and the 18 northern states will remain as they now are and will in future years continue to increase in population, industry and new states will be added from the now western territory…and in twenty or thirty years…the northern confederacy will have attained an importance greater than the former 33 states!…[while] the South will continue to degenerate, dissentions will take place between different states…and finally…will be split up into a half doz. different confederacies and perhaps before many years Virginia will have become a free state, as well as the other border states. These my views you will please let none know of…for if those predictions…were known to the people here it wouldn't be so well for me…I do not wish…the people of the south any harm…I like the south better than the north. As to their peculiar institution-slavery-I can only say that their slaves are treated much too well, instead of being greatly abused. There isn't one black rascal…treated much better than I could think of treating then were they under my control…I do despise them. I have seen so much of their rascality that I have lost all sympathy for them…Geo. W…". The original stamped transmittal cover, with "Wm. P. Spotswood, Apothecary, Petersburg, Va." cachet, addressed: "Miss. Kattie Emmons, care Geo. Bush, Esq., 70 3rd Street, New York" is included. George W. Emmons was born in 1840 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia and by 1860 was living in Petersburg, where he worked as a clerk for druggist William F. Spotswood. When the war broke out, he enlisted in the 12th Virginia Infantry and was detailed as a hospital steward. He deserted from Confederate military service in late 1864 and was sent to New York State after taking the oath of allegiance. Light toning, else VG
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