Sep 17, 2015 - Sale 2391

Sale 2391 - Lot 121

Price Realized: $ 1,170
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,200 - $ 1,800
'THEY HAVE COMMENCED THE BALL IN EARNEST ' (CIVIL WAR--PENNSYLVANIA.) Barker, Valentine S. Diary of a soldier at Chancellorsville. 40 manuscript diary pages plus memoranda. 24mo, original calf, minor wear; contents clean. Vp, 24 February to 29 May [1863]
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Valentine S. Barker (1843-1906) of Ebensburg, PA was a private in the 133rd Pennsylvania Infantry, a nine-month regiment. Most of his diary entries are quite brief—usually three days on each small page. A highlight was a 7 April 'grand review by President Lincoln, Gen. Hooker & other shoulder-strapped individuals.' Nearly at the close of his enlistment, he found himself at Chancellorsville, where he wrote longer entries. He first noticed trouble brewing on 1 May: "We are now fairly in the enemies country, but have met no opposition yet. . . . Lay down without supper as we dare not build a fire.' He served in Meade's V Corps, so his regiment did not bear the brunt of Stonewall Jackson's 2 May flank attack which decimated the XI Corps. He was apparently assigned to hospital duty. 'We left the rifle pits this morning at 3 o'clock. Go down to our place of stacking arms for breakfast, but no breakfast for us this morning. We are ordered forward towards the battle, as they have commenced the ball in earnest. . . . Have a very hard fight. I & Joe go back to the hospital for the night' (3 May). 'Great many wounded coming in. We about hold our ground and that is all. Go up to the regiment today. Our company all safe this time. Adjt. killed. Boys laying behind breast works ready for an attack.' The next day, 'Gen. [Amiel W.] Whipple wounded and brought back here. . . . Orders for docts to report to their regts, so we go down to the div hospital but get no rest, as they are moving the hospital' (5 May). The entire Union force was withdrawing from the field.
Private Barker received orders to start for home twelve days later, and on 29 May he arrived back in Ebensburg. His next and final undated diary entry records his enrollment at Duff's Iron City College in Pittsburgh.