1863 Manuscript Union Soldier’s Letter – George Stearns, 45th Massachusetts

Description

1863 Manuscript Union Soldier’s Letter – George Stearns, 45th Massachusetts
Offered for your consideration is a Civil War era letter written by a Union soldier on duty in eastern North Carolina. The letter is headlined from “
Fort Macon, Beaufort
” and is dated “
April 15
th
/63
”. It was penned by George Stearns, a member of the 45
th
Massachusetts Infantry, a nine-month regiment formed in mid to late 1862. It begins with talk of the weather “
… We are having some splendid weather …
”, but quickly turns to information regarding the military situation (Civil War era letters did not have to face the cutting of the censors). He states that “
… Although there has been considerable skirmishing between Newbern, and little Washington, Gen. Foster got hemened in at little Washington with 5000 men. another force started from Newbern to help him but got stuck in the mud and were met by a large force of Rebs and were obliged to retreat. our force then came back to Newbern and took the Gunboats and went up the river. I do not know for certain how the thing stands now but it is the report that they have run by the Rebel Batteries and are now with Foster…
”. He further states that “
… Co. G has left this Fort and gone to Newbern to man a Sand Fort, and a Co. of the 51
st
Regt. have come here in there place …
”. He then talks of his personal situation, stating unusually “
… I never was in better health than I be now, I am
Fat,
Tough
and
Ugly
…
”, but on the down side “
… We hant been paid yet but expect it every day. this is the last sheet of paper I have. what I am going to do for any more I don’t know for I have not got a cent of money and all the rest of the Boys are in the same predicament …
”. He concludes the letter with a short discussion of the exact date of their discharge from the service, as there seems to be some difference of opinion. The letter is fairly short, as he says that he was trying to
“… get it aboard the Steamer S. R. Paulding before she starts …
”, which he apparently did (the original envelope is included and has the ship’s name penned in the upper left corner). The letter is signed “
… Your Brother George …
”, but the address on the envelope includes the last name, thereby identifying the author. As noted, this letter comes with its original envelope bearing the ship’s name at the left, an “
OLD POINT COMFORT VA
” postmark at the center, and a 3¢ George Washington stamp at the upper right. An interesting little missive penned by one of the many short-term Union volunteers. Would make a nice addition to any letter collection.
Cursory research indicates that
George Stearns
was a 35-year old farmer from South Scituate, Massachusetts when he enlisted on September 16, 1862 in the 45
th
Massachusetts Infantry. He was mustered in as a private into Company H on September 26, 1862, and mustered out on July 7, 1863 at Readville, Massachusetts.
The
45
th
Massachusetts Volunteer Militia (Infantry)
, nicknamed the Cadet Regiment, was organized between September 26 and October 28, 1862 at Camp Meigs, Readville, Massachusetts. They transferred to North Carolina and performed camp duties until becoming part of General Foster’s Expedition to Goldsboro. They saw action at the battle of Kinston on December 14
th
and at Whitehall two days later. Not engaged in the battle of Goldsboro, they returned to their former camp by December 21, 1862. They served as the provost guard in Newbern from January 26 through April 26, 1863, after which they participated in a raid on the railroad toward Goldsboro. The regiment was mustered out on July 8, 1863. During its term of service, the 45
th
Massachusetts Regiment lost 19 enlisted men killed or mortally wounded and 32 enlisted men who died of disease.
The presently offered letter exhibits signs of period use, as expected, as well a subsequent long-term storage. Toning is present across the entire surface, significantly more pronounced on the last page (this would have been in contact with the envelope when it was folded), as well as along the edges. Several small foxing spots are scattered throughout the piece, though none of these are large or detrimental to the overall eye appeal of the missive. Two horizontal folds are present, obviously done at the time so that the letter could be mailed (these have not seriously weakened the paper, though one small hole can be seen at the juncture with the center). The contrast is average, with all of the material being visible (the handwriting is somewhat difficult to read, however). Ink show through is noted on all pages, adding to the difficulty in reading the text. Sadly, the envelope is in significantly worse condition that the letter. Toning and soiling are noted across the entire surface, though the extent of this is unknown since the original color is not known to the seller. Staining is present, principally on the back. All of the edges are ragged and torn, with the worst being at the left (large sections of the envelope are missing in this area). The address is sharp and bold, though the ship name is much lighter. Though in poor condition, the envelope is important in establishing the identity of the author, as well as the time it took for the mail to move from the front to a major base. With the letter measuring approximately 5⅛ x 8 inches and the envelope measuring approximately 3¼ x 5½ inches, this pair would make a great addition to any Civil War letter collection.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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