Nov 21, 2024 - Sale 2687

Sale 2687 - Lot 77

Price Realized: $ 2,750
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,000 - $ 3,000
(CIVIL WAR.) William D. Milliken. Letters from an officer of the Colored Troops, including their occupation of Richmond. 14 Autograph Letters Signed, mostly to his parents, while in the Union Army; generally minor wear. Various places, 1862-1865
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"The proudest day of our lives. Just imagine an entire brigade of colored troops marching through the principal streets of R---"

William Delville Milliken (1837-1887) of Albion, NY enlisted as a private in the all-white 4th New York Heavy Artillery in August 1862. In December 1863, he became a lieutenant in the 22nd United States Colored Troops, a regiment composed largely of Black recruits from New Jersey.

8 of these letters are written from August 1862 to December 1863 while serving with the 4th New York, mostly from Fort Ethan Allen in the defenses of Washington, one of them on illustrated regimental letterhead. His 12 December 1863 letter describes his meeting with Major Foster, "Chief of Bureau for the organization of Colored Troops," who promised him a position. The 24 December 1863 letter announces his appointment to the 22nd U.S.C.T., and his new address at Camp William Penn.

6 letters were written as an officer of the 22nd United States Colored Troops, 1864-1865. The 23 February 1864 letter finds Milliken drilling his new troops in Yorktown, VA, with constant reviews--"I think it all foolishness & worse with troops as raw as ours are, still they make quite a good appearance." On 3 May 1864, at Wilson's Wharf, VA, he wrote that "day before yesterday I took out a squad of 20 men on a scout. . . . Had good success & a safe return. Captured 18 head of cattle, 1 horse, & 2 colts," most of them at a house where "a Miss Tyler, niece of ex-President Tyler was there. . . . Miss Tyler gave me a fine shawl belonging to herself & a backgammon board which belonged to President Tyler." On 15 January 1865, Milliken describes a well-known engineering failure involving the Colored Troops: "Dutch Gap Canal & the explosion was a failure. The river is very high & I think perhaps a channel will be washed out large enough to admit the passage of the monitors."

The 4 April 1865 letter, the highlight of this lot, describes the capture of the Confederate capital: "We occupied Richmond yesterday & that without taking a blow. . . . At about 8 a.m. our brigade was the first to enter. . . . Will ever be remembered as the proudest day of our lives. Just imagine an entire brigade of colored troops marching through the principal streets of R---. The people seemed wild with joy. We could scarcely get through, for the crowd. Every window was filled, handkerchiefs waving, bands playing John Brown, Yankey Doodle & similar pieces."

With--17 family photographs and approximately 45 family letters, 1850-1914. Among these, Milliken's father writes about the Colored Troops on 18 April 1864: "They will rise in manhood and become good and faithful citizens and add greatly to the strength of the nation. . . . The South will need their services, and I hope and expect it will be much more efficient in a state of freedom with fair compensation." Milliken's sister writes on 15 July 1864: "Very proudly I write these words . . . for I have heard of the gallant conduct of Lieut. Milliken and his colored troops at Petersburg and I am proud to call you my friend."