Jun 27, 2024 - Sale 2675

Sale 2675 - Lot 106

Price Realized: $ 562
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 800 - $ 1,200
(CIVIL WAR--OHIO.) John S. Casement. Letters of a future Union general on the Shenandoah Campaign. 3 Autograph Letters Signed as "Jack," to his wife in Painesville, OH, each one page, about 9 x 7½ inches; mailing folds, lacking integral blanks, minimal wear. With one original stamped envelope addressed to Mrs. J.S. Casement bearing a Washington postmark. Virginia, March to May 1862
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John S. "Jack" Casement (1829-1909) was a railroad contractor who became the major of the 7th Ohio Infantry early in the war. In the first of these letters, the regiment was preparing to meet Stonewall Jackson's cavalry at the start of the Shenandoah Campaign. He writes from Winchester, VA on 18 March 1862: "Our men are preparing to march this morning. We will be off in a few minutes. Both of my horses are so lame that I cannot move them and had to pay 175$ for one this morning before daylight. . . . I think the move means 'Pitch In.'" He next wrote again from Winchester on 28 March, five days after helping to defeat Jackson at the Battle of Kernstown: "I came to this town today to look after some of our wounded men and do some other business of nearly as unpleasant nature, viz., to notify some of our officers to tender their resignations on acts of ungallant conduct on the field of battle. I am very busy tonight, and . . . you will probably see a published list of killed & wounded of the 7th before this reaches you." The last letter is dated 20 May 1862 from Warrenton, VA: "We are still on the march. . . . Col., or rather Genl. [Erastus] Tyler has not joined us yet. I don't know whether he will be assigned to this brigade or not. I am looking sharp for the time to come when I can resign, but I can't see it yet. I wish I could. . . . We are now only about 40 miles from Washington."

Soon after, Casement was chosen as colonel of the 103rd Ohio Infantry in June 1862. Toward the end of the war he became a brigadier general, and later played a major role in building the transcontinental railroad. No other Casement letters have been traced at auction.