Nov 29, 2001 - Sale 1916

Sale 1916 - Lot 64

Price Realized: $ 5,750
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
THE SIEGE OF FORT HUDSON(CIVIL WAR.) Chaffee, Samuel J. Manuscript diary of the Captain of Company D, 49th Massachusetts Volunteer Militia, detailing the siege of Fort Hudson, including detailed battle descriptions, comments concerning African-American soldiers, and several drawings of the region with positions identified. 8vo, contemporary wallet-style morocco soft covers, lacking the rear cover; written mostly in pencil, scattered minor browning.<\t>Vp, November 1862 to October 1863
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The diary begins with the regiment in New York, though they leave by steamer for New Orleans on 24 January 1863, arriving there on 7 February. By 17 February the regiment has moved up the Mississippi to Baton Rouge, where they stay until 20 May when they begin an advance on Port Hudson. They see action almost immediately and on 21 May, Chaffee writes, "The shells come close to us. The batteries are ordered to the front and now at 2 o'clock p.m. the strife begins. We are ordered to fall into the woods each side of the road while our batteries engage the Rebs. They silence them and we are ordered to move forward. We proceeded only a mile when we found ourselves in the midst of Rebs known as miles legion. We came right into them and received the fire from them and for a moment all was consternation but upon my orders my company rallied on me and we formed in line of battle. At the same time the 116th N. Y. made a charge and drove all before them, we advanced on the left flank and were fired on by battery and infantry."
On 25 May 1863, Union forces laid siege to Fort Hudson and Chafee's regiment served virtually the entire 6 week siege on the front lines. In this period, Chaffee gives daily entries and often several entries per day, each with the approximate time indicated. On 27 May, he writes, "shot and shell are tearing all around me. Myself and picket must be silent spectators, an awful but sublime sight . . . I am kneeling within 3 feet of the guns and making a memorandum of it . . . a shell from one of their guns just struck close to me so that I could pick up the ball . . . 4 o'clock our 49th are returning also the whole 1st brigade terribly cut up. Col. Chapin killed, Col. O'Brien killed. My Co. was cut bad . . . I never saw such sights and God grant I never may again. It seems to have been a regular man trap for our brigade."
On several occasions during the siege Chaffee comments on the service of the Colored troops, writing on 30 May, for example, "One thing is demonstrated to a certainty in this fight, that is that the Negroes will fight just as well as anybody and make just as good soldiers in all respects as any in the field." Several days later he writes, "I was detailed with 150 men to go up within 60 yards of the fort to make last night another earth work. A very dangerous job, but the darkys volunteered to do it and I hear they have made a good job of it. Thank God for the great service the blacks are doing us."
On 9 July 1863, after receiving news of the fall of Vicksburg, the Confederates surrendered the fort, about which Chaffee writes, "Yes this old stronghold has surrendered and now the river is open again . . . Thank the Lord that this vaunted stronghold is at last ours and the stars and stripes will float over it before night." After the fall of Fort Hudson, the 49th Mass. Militia traveled toward Vicksburg, but with only minor action on 13 July near Donaldsonville. The regiment is mustered out on 1 September and the journal ends in October 1863.<