2008-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2008
Highly significant grouping of material pertaining to Lt. Joseph Bishop, 14th Connecticut Infantry and his service at Gettysburg, includes: Autograph Letter Signed, 3p. octavo, February 10 [early 1900s] and reads: “...Your letter of Gettysburg and also of Grant recieved. I shall have to answere both in one letter. Although Gettysburg was fought nearly half a century ago its still as vivid in my recollection as though it were last year. I remember just how Armistead placed his hat on the point of sabre and cried ‘give them the cold steel boys’ he was then some distance inside our lines. I know I had to turn partly around to shoot at him and as I fired he fell but probably fifty others were shooting at him so I dont lay any claim on my bullet killing him. I helped to lift the Col. of a North Carolina regmt [Col James K. Marshall, 52nd NC Infantry who was in charge Pettigrew’s brigade as Pettigrew had command of Heath’s Division, after that general fell on the 1st day of the fight] over the old stone wall he was a noble looking man he was shot through both hips and I guess the wound was a mortal one. I never heard from him afterwards. Oh the sight of that field, with its dead and wounded is still fresh in my memory. If the Grant man you wrote about cold have been there we would have made a counter charge that same afternoon and the history of that battle would have read far different than it does now. Lees men were badly defeated and discouraged, and with the whole of the 6th Corps that had it been in the fight at all I have no doubt we could [of] forced a surrender before Lee could crossed the river but many thousands of lives had to be sacrificed before the end came...” VG...plus; Bishop’s ticket to the 50th Anniversary of the Gettysburg Reunion, signed by him. Rare. Fine...plus; Autograph Letter Signed, 1p. octavo, April 9, 1915, in part: “...you can think a litle of my feelings when just 50 years ago today even at this very hour we of the Army were in a small clearing waiting to hear the news of the Surrender of Lee. We had not long to wait for soon Genl. Meade came riding down the line with hat in hand and then such a yelling as never was heard before. What a miracle it is that I’m alive...” Good...plus; Narrative by Joseph Bishop, 3p. octavo, “on the 6th of February we got orders to go down to the river and make a little demonstration...we were finally ordered to charge the rebs which we did in fine shape but losing thirty per cent of our little regiment...the bodies of our poor boys we left on that field were stripped of clothing and left top of ground some of them in plain sight of our camp...” Good... plus; Autograph Letter Signed “Peter Hughes” who served with Bishop in the 14th Connecticut, 1865...plus; Autograph Letter Signed, by Bishop, 2p. quarto, March 17, 1915, in part: “...Your welcome letter and charm came in good time many thanks for the same. I should like to know someting of the history of the medal whether it signifies some event or just a toy gotten up for a souvenier, but no matter will wear it just the same...” Fine...plus; another letter, pension document, and images of his parents. A nice grouping. The 14th Connecticut were one of the regiments who resisted Pickett’s charge at Gettysburg, capturing five battle flags and over 200 prisoners. The flags captured belonged to the Fourteenth Tennessee, First Tennessee [Provisional Army], Sixteenth North Carolina, Fourth Virginia, and Fifty-second North Carolina.
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