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, 4pp. 4to., on stationery showing a finely illustrated engraving entitled: "View of Washington City" showing the Capitol Building among the bustling city, written by Sergeant James A. Bailey, Co. E, 5th Mass. (3 Months) Vols., Washington, May 16, [1861], to his family, in part: "…I have been Sergt. of the guard for 2 days…I had an officer of the day & one lieutenant over me & a corporal & 78 men under me. Some of them old enough to be my father. My duty was to turn out the guard & call the roll every two hours…amy person coming in with out a pass…was put under arrest…I arrested 31 men in the afternoon & 7 at night…six men…came late without a pass & a little the worse for liquor…just 5 hours sleep in 48 hours…my hand tremble some…every Wednesday & Saturday afternoon there is a levee held in the President's Garden a band from one of the regiments plays in front of the White House & all the fashionable ladies & gentlemen of the City turn out. The President appears on the balcony bows to his friends & listens to the music etc. There are some few very handsome ladies appear…the weather is quite warm…so much so that we wear no coats when on duty. The whole regiment appears in blue shirts. It is the most comfortable dress we can have for hard work. Last Sunday morning I took a seat in the president's garden…I will give you a description of the picture at the head of this sheet. It is a very good view of the city…the long building at the upper end of the street running from the run of the capitol…is the U. S. Treasury where we are quartered. The street is Pennsylvania Avenue. We have a fine view of it from our windows. We can see the whole length of the street & the Capitol at the en dis about a mile off. The large building with the park surrounding it in the left hand centre is the Smithsonian Institute which is a very fine museum, is pen all the time to the public. The unfinished Washington Monument is seen in the distance. The three large buildings on the extreme right are the Post Office, Patent Office & City Hall. The long bridge on the extreme right crosses the Potomac River to old Virginia shore. There is a guard at this bridge & no one can cross without being examined…there is a Secession guard about 2 miles from the end of the bridge. The two buildings beyond the Treasury are the White House & the War Department…J. A. B…". Also included is a view of the U. S. Treasury building (clipped from stationery and dated May 14, 1861) which Bailey sent to his family. Both light toning, else VG
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