2023-03 HCA Auctions
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/7/2023
Richard Hulse mustered into "F" Co. NY 5th Heavy Artillery, 8/4/1862. Before his service had barely begun, he was captured and paroled by Stonewall Jackson's men at Harper's Ferry on September 15, 1862. His first four letters from Harper's Ferry give ample evidence that an attack by Jackson was expected weeks before it occurred lending credence to the argument that Col. Dixon Mills was either a incompetent commander or a Southern sympathizer. Until Hulse and other soldiers of his regiment who were taken prisoner could be exchanged, they were detained first at Camp Douglas and later Fort Marshall. Sometime about New Year's Day 1863, feeling himself abused by the regiment, Hulse went on French leave and the next time we hear from him, he has enlisted in Co. L. 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry. He was again taken prisoner at Cedar Creek Virginia, October 19, 1864 along with most of the other members of his battalion who were on picket duty near Bowman's Ford by a surprise morning attack by Confederate General William Payne's men. Following a stint in prison, Dick was reported to have taken the Oath of Allegiance to the Confederacy and joined the Confederate army as a "galvanized Confederate" at Salisbury NC, December 1864. We have attempted to corroborate this claim, but cannot find his name in any military or civilian records after the date of his last letter, September 1864. Perhaps he assumed an alias name.. The archive includes Richard Hulse’s CDV and Eighty neatly penned letters with transcripts, most are 4pp., mostly to his parents and the vast majority with the original cover. We have selected some excerpts as follows: 8/17/62; Harper's Ferry "We expect to have a fight soon with Stonewall Jackson but if he comes he will get his fill as we have a gun that will give the secesh a pill that they don't like. A few nights ago we seen a rebel light and we fired a shell and it went into a house 6 miles off and killed 10 men, wounded 27 of them. .... they expect Johnny Bull over ..let them come. We will settle them ..."; Maryland Heights, 8/28/62; "We are expecting a fight now as there are rebels all around us. We are ready. We had our full ammunition given us yesterday so as to be on hand...."; Maryland Heights, 9/2/62; "We have now five hundred nixxers on our ground to build log huts for our winter quarters. We are surrounded on four sides by rebels and are expecting them every minute. If we were forced to skedaddle, we would have to surrender or jump off high rocks and run our risk of losing our life. .." Maryland Heights, 9/9/62; We are having very tough times ... expect every minute an attack ... have been sleeping on our arms for two nights. Our Captain told us our time had come - he wanted his men to stand with him. He said he would not leave us until the last drop of blood runs out of his frame ..." Fort Marshal, 9/23/62; Letter written to Hulse's Father, "I am instructed by Col. Graham to say your son, Richard Hulse is a paroled prisoner at Annapolis, Maryland". Camp Douglas, October 3, 1862; "Having found out that we are here to stay .. there is some talk of sending us to the frontier to fight the Indians ... The prisoners are tearing down fences and doing all the damage they can ..." The cover has an illustration of a soldier "The Captured Battery". .. Camp Douglas, October 10, 1862; "All the paroled prisoners here say they will burn down the barracks and march out if they don't get paid soon .." Camp Douglas, October 16, 1862; "Our barracks were burnt and the fences torn down. Our own men fighting together and it ended by one man getting shot by Lt. Barker ... When Lt. Barker shot the man, they all rushed out to kill him. ... was stopped by the guard who came just in time to save his life. Fort Marshall, November 24, 1862; "I have left Chicago at last. On Thursday we received orders to go to Washington and report to General Burnside as we were exchanged and ready to go into the field once more...."; Fort Marshall, November 24, 1862; "While we was at Chicago we had one man killed by the railroad cars running over him. He was drunk at the time. The men buy whiskey at ten cents a quart. ..." Fort Marshall, December 14, 1862; "I do not believe we are exchanged yet as we have no answer yet ... Our Colonel is under arrest and so is our Major ... We had at Harper's Ferry 132 men .. now we have 74..."; Fort Marshall, January 12, 1863; "Our Colnel has been dismissed from service and now there is a Captain and Lieutenant going to be court martialed..." Fort Marshall, February 1, 1863 "I received your letter two days ago ... the box which I got by Harden's Express" (Hulse provides a sketch of him on knees in front of the box). Fort Marshall, February 7, 1863; " Our Captain is now our major. ..He was lieutenant in a regiment at Bull Run and was wounded in three places."; Camp near Germantown, March 6, 1863, "I thought I would let you know that I am safe and sound but not in my old regiment. I was taken at Havre de Grace and brought to Washington as a deserter by a detective, but when I got to Washington, I made my way to Fairfax Court House where I joined the 18th Pennsylvania Cavalry". Camp Germantown, March 12, 1863, "Last night we was aroused from our sleep ... Our regiment is pretty well cut up and has lost many of its officers but thank God that the rebels have not sent a bullet through my body yet but I will try to do my share in killing them before I get shot" ... Fairfax Courthouse Virginia, April 21, 1863, "I have been out on scout. We captured three men and wounded or killed about five. .. I think I will see more fighting than I wish, but the rebel bullets were never made for Dick's body. ... Two of our men got drunk and were going to shoot everyone but we took their guns away and then we had a great time as they fought like tigers. They was sent to the workhouse for two years hard labor." ... Camp Stahl, June 2, 1863, "We are scouting around the country after Old Mosby but he is too smart for us as he knows Virginia too well to be caught. .. I hope we will see the time that that dear old flag will once more float over the southern lands and that ever traitor is slain ..." Warrenton Virginia, July 29, 1863, "Our regiment has been in all the fights and was the first to draw blood from Johnny Reb at Hanover. Our company being on the left suffered severely for those hounds attacked us from the rear. We lost our 1st Lt, a prisoner ... On we went to Gettysburg where our loss was trifling, and from there to Hunterville ... there we destroyed their supply trains, capturing 300 graybacks and 500 horses ... Finally after a days rest ... at Falling Waters where our brigade captured 807 privates and 14 officers of Lee's army. .." Warrenton Virginia, August 11, 1863, "The fourth of July was a gloomy day with me. I was helping burying the dead and such an awful sight - men with heads off and arms and bodies torn to rags. ... I am a corporal now. Received my stripes at Gettysburg." Stafford County, Virginia, August 23, 1863, "We are now doing picket duty on the Rappahannock. We can see the Rebs and not only that, we travel from one side to the other. They brought over whiskey and tobacco yesterday and our boys give them coffee and sugar. .. Thay have a strong force of infantry and artillery. It is Longstreet's Corp and Stuart's Cavalry ..." Camp Ballard's Farm, VA., September 11, 1863, "We have exciting times down here in the line of racing. General Kilpatrick and General Custer has racing matches two or three times a week. We have some very fast horses down here, no wonder the war does not end. .." Gainesville, Virginia, Oct. 22, 1863, "My Captain is with us again .. Our Sergeant led the charge at Culpeper and got his horse shot twice .. I think General Kilpatrick will rest awhile now as all the men says he is a man killer and he will fight for that's his delight. .." Camp Near The Rapidan, (November 1863), "We crossed the Rappahannock .. driving the Johnnies to the Rapidan and finally drove them beyond Gordonsville.. I begin to think the Johnnies are pretty well gone. They are burning everything and retreating for Richmond ... we expect o go forward soon. Kilpatrick is the man now. He will go where another General will not. .." Fort McHenry, Maryland, January 22, 1863(actually 1864), "Capt. McGrath was down to see me before New Year's and said he was trying to get his men out. He said he got your letter.If I ever get back safe, I will never be so anxious to serve my country in the field again, for i won't risk of getting killed or maybe crippled for life and then had to settle for it in the guard house. But it's my own fault. .." Fort McHenry, February 1, 1864, "I had my court martial today and everything went off favorable. My Captain and Lt. Murray was my witness in my behalf ..My Captain says he was trying to get me out without a court martial, but he says I will not stay here long as the court will not go hard on me. I will have to serve a few months. .." Fort McHenry, February 7, 1864, "I have 18 months to serve. Then I will get my discharge and come home. ..." Fort McHenry, March 6, 1864, ""Well about my pay. I have not received any money now this six months. My pay and allowances is stopped as long as I am sentenced here .. Lt. Murray said he would try & get my parole .." Fort McHenry, April 17, 1864, "They have only released prisoners that were not sentenced, so I still remain ... I would sooner be where bullets are than to be in here. .." Camp Hill, June 4, 1864, "... we are on duty every day... about a week ago we lost two of our comrade. One was drowned and the other was shot on duty ..." Camp Hill, June 28, 1864, "Our battalion is expecting to go to Baltimore ... My captain is wounded .. Col. Murray says New York boys is a hard set but they will fight as they took 950 prisoners and arms ..." Charlestown Virginia, August 28, 1864, "... I am well with the exception of a slight would which I received in a gallant charge on the enemy's breastworks on Thursday. ... Our company loss six men killed and ten wounded .. We had to leave our dead on the field so the rebs stripped them of everything except their shirts. .." Charlestown, September 1, 1864, "The ball that struck me wounded three others behind me. We had six men killed and one expected to die from his leg being taken off, so you can see I came off very lucky."
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