Sep 29, 2022 - Sale 2615

Sale 2615 - Lot 103

Price Realized: $ 390
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 400 - $ 600
(CIVIL WAR--OHIO.) An 11th Ohio sergeant's notebook and diary from Chickamauga and beyond. [16] manuscript diary pages and [30] pages of manuscript rolls and memoranda. 12mo, contemporary stiff wrappers, quite worn; several leaves detached, first two diary leaves defective and partly illegible. Various places, September 1863 to March 1864
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Additional Details

The 11th Ohio Infantry played a significant role in the September 1863 Battle of Chickamauga, as one of five regiments in John Basil Turchin's brigade which led a key charge. They are frequently discussed in Turchin's 1888 history of the battle. This partly printed "Sergeant's Roll Book" includes company rolls for Company A from September 1863 through March 1864. The 6-page roll for September 1863 includes 6 men marked "Wounded at Chicamauga," some with explanations: Private Borer was "shot in face," Privates Haines and Sherman were "shot in leg," and Private Leslie was "shot both arms." The October roll also contains painful notations: Private William Carnes was "wounded in breast on scout at Rocky Face, decd" and Private William Hodge was "wounded in thy, died in hosp'l."

In the rear of the volume are 15 pages of diary entries. Perhaps the most interesting was written on 20 September 1863 regarding the Battle of Chickamauga, although it is almost completely illegible. It reads in part: "Engaged the enemy, making several charges. Privates Haines, Borer, LaRue, Pilate wounded. Martin [???] were surrounded and charged our way through. [???] 13 miles to within 5 miles."

The volume is not signed, but as it was kept in a "Sergeant's Roll Book" and is partly filled with a sergeant's rolls kept for Company A of the 11th Ohio, the author was likely one of their sergeants. Sergeant John Beam Steward (1837-1916) of Dayton, OH was the only one to appear consistently throughout the span of this volume (Sergeant Elsbury Covault was also on the rolls,. but as the spelling of his name changes frequently he was not likely the author).