Apr 13, 2023 - Sale 2633

Sale 2633 - Lot 64

Price Realized: $ 688
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 600 - $ 900
(CIVIL WAR--NEW YORK.) Isaac M. Fiero. Letters of a private in the "Seward's Pets" artillery regiment, wounded at Cold Harbor. 9 war-date Autograph Letters Signed plus a partial fragment totaling 38 pages, two of them on patriotic letterhead, two of them with his personal inked signature stamp, addressed to his mother and wife; one quite worn and toned, another partly faded and torn, otherwise just moderate wear. With typed transcript of all letters. Various places, 1862-1865

Additional Details

"I hope they will hang every Rebel leader as fast as they can catch them."

Isaac Miles Fiero (1841-1917) was a farmer from Phelps, NY in Ontario County, between Rochester and Syracuse. In 1862, he enlisted in the 138th New York Infantry, which was soon converted into the 9th New York Heavy Artillery. They spent two years in the defenses of Washington, and then in May 1864 joined the Army of the Potomac for several grueling campaigns--they suffered more losses than almost any Union heavy artillery regiment. William H. Seward Jr. served with the regiment for most of the war as lieutenant colonel and then colonel; his famous father visited so frequently that the regiment was known informally as "Seward's Pets."

The first letter, 24 September 1862, details his regiment's travels to Washington, spending one night on "the rebbel genral Lee's farm." On 19 October 1862 at Camp Morris, "Old Secretary Seward was up here from the city" a few miles away. The 8 February 1863 letter responds to rumors in the news: "Jane wanted to know if Burnside had resigned. He has not, but he has been relieved of his command by order of the President, and I am glad of that. Hooker takes his place, and they say he is a very smart man." His 22 June 1864 letter is written from a Union hospital in York, PA, which he explains 7 pages deep into the letter: "I suppose you have hearde that I got wounded in the battle at Cool [Cold] Harbor. That was an awful fight. Wee lost a great many men in that fight. I got a bullet through my left leg below the knee near the ancle. It hit the bone but did not break it. . . . I was sent from the field in a waggon 15 miles to White House Landing. . . . I was wounded on the the first day of June." By 20 March 1865 he was in a hospital in Rochester, NY awaiting discharge: "Dr. More examine my wound to see if there was any more dead bone in it, and hee thought not. Thought I had better let it alone. . . . I think there is something wrong about it, that it don't heal up." On 24 April 1865 he reported on the mourning in Rochester: "The remains of our late President will pass through this city on Thursday next on its way home. What an awfull thing that was. I hope they will hang every Rebel leader as fast as they can catch them. There was the largest crowd of people here on Wednesday, I think. Every thing and every boddy was draped in mourning. I tell you it was a solome occassion."

With--Fiero's will written during his service, 4 October 1863; an 1873 letter; will of his grandmother Elizabeth Cairncross of Victory, NY dated 1870; and 3 stamped and postmarked envelopes, 1864, 1867 and undated.