Raynors HCA 2018-10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/20/2018
CATTON, Charles Bruce (1899-1978) was an American historian and journalist, known best for his books concerning the American Civil War. Known as a narrative historian, Catton specialized in popular history, featuring interesting characters and historical vignettes, in addition to the basic facts, dates, and analyses. Although his books were researched well and included footnotes, they were not generally presented in a rigorous academic style. He won a Pulitzer Prize during 1954 for A Stillness at Appomattox, his study of the final campaign of the war in Virginia. Extensive group of thirty (30) Typed Letters Signed by Bruce Catton, on his personal stationary or American Heritage stationary, addressed to Arnold Gates (1914-1993) Civil War scholar, author and collector and other members of the New York Civil War Round Table. Includes in part: “...[February 25, 1951] I am at the moment writing another book which begins about where ‘Mr. Lincoln’s Army’ closed, and the delivery date for the manuscript is beginning to seem very near; for a few weeks I’m afraid I will be kept fairly close to Washington. Meanwhile, I am very glad that you liked the books. It has seemed to me, sometimes, that I must have had far more temerity than brains, to go ahead and write a book on a subject concernin which there are so very many well-informed experts as the Civil War...[April 20, 1951] What I propose to discuss in the chain of events which led President Licnoln to dismiss General McClellan - and by chain of events I mean practically everything from the battle of Ball’s Bluff on down through Antietam. I also propose to take as a point of departure the idea that this present generation is ideally fitted to understand the problems which confronted soldiers and statesmen of the Civil War period, because we are having such similar problems today...[November 14, 1960] Somehow I never seem to put a title on a speech. Can you, by any chance, remember what in hell I talked about last time I spoke to the Round Table here? I’d hate to repeat myself; the thing I have in mind right now dwells on the tragic nature of the Civil War experience, but if I have sounded off before this group on that subject in the past I’d better switch to something else. Might do a review of the 1860 election campaign that started the whole fuss...[August 30, 1962] Governor Rockefeller and a most distinguished group of Americans dedicated to the ideals of Abraham Lincoln and the principles of freedom as he first proclaimed them in September 1862 - will join with us to honor the Centennial of the Emancipation at a dinner in the Park-Sheraton Hotel...The now priceless original document of Emancipation- in the hand of President Lincoln- will be with us so that you may read the original - truly one of mankind’s most cherished treasures- which has been held by the Empire State as a possession and a sacred trust...[April 26, 1966] I gather you are not too enthusiastic about the Stonewall Jackson Memorial, and I certainly won’t try to talk you into it. The opening at Lincoln Memorial University might be something else again. Technically, of course, that university is in the South but it is in the East Tennessee county, and I don’t believe you would encounter nearly as much of the prejudice and injustice there that you might run into in places further south. The university, as you doubltess know, is rather small, but I have been there a few times and have a rather high regard for it, and you just might find that being Direct of the Department of Lincolniana was a rewarding sort of job...” Much more. Fine condition overall.
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