Sep 17, 2015 - Sale 2391

Sale 2391 - Lot 122

Unsold
Estimate: $ 4,000 - $ 6,000
(CIVIL WAR--PENNSYLVANIA.) Cory, Nathan E. Letters of a foul-mouthed and politically incorrect sergeant from western Pennsylvania. 27 Autograph Letters Signed to his sister Eliza J. Bailey and her husband Peter Bailey of Irish Ripple, PA (a post office in Wampum Township); various sizes and conditions; 4 on patriotic letterhead, all but one with original envelopes, many of them stamped. Vp, 1861-63
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Additional Details

Nathan E. Cory (circa 1842-1900) was born and raised in Wampum on the western Pennsylvania border. He enlisted as a private in the 101st Pennsylvania Infantry near the beginning of the war, and reached sergeant by 1863. The regiment spent much of 1862 on the Peninsular campaign with the bulk of the Union army, and then all of 1863 on various campaigns in North Carolina.
In the pressure of active military duty, the thoughts of some soldiers turn to home, some turn to food. Sergeant Cory's turned to sex, a subject the came up repeatedly in his letters to his sister's husband, though he refrained in his letters to his sister. He closed his 14 September 1862 letter with several small drawings of sexual organs and added "My mark. Always mind to do your fucking." He added similar drawings to the end of his 11 April 1863 letter. He closed his 27 April 1863 letter with the cryptic comment, "My cock is only one inch long and it has one black ring." On 31 May 1863, he requested: "Let me have all the news. Let me no if there is eny very sintifictly fucking going on." He also made time for general hell-raising. In training, the captain took his company out for a Christmas dinner, which went poorly: "Some of us got on a spree and got light, and part of another company and us got in a fight and we had the damdest fight you ever seen. We run them all over Harisburg" (28 December 1861).
Cory also did some fighting against the rebels. He describes some heavy action leading up to the Battle of Seven Pines: "The place we now occupy, our artilry shelled the rebels out of yesterday. . . . The minet they seen the Hundred and First coming with the brite guns they started on double quick. I can tell you that Company C just laughed at the shells bursting and the shot whizzing round. When the ball hit John's canteen he looked round and said God damd if it diden't spoil my canteen" (27 May 1862). He also describes the Raid on Blount's Creek (11 April 1863): "Gen. Foster is at Little Washington with some small force, I don't know how many, but he is surrounded. We was sent for reinforcements but the rebels had the river blockaded."
Cory began the war with great enthusiasm, but after the long slog up the Peninsula, he had developed a cynical theory: "What I think of the war, it is a damd neucence to the country. If there was not such big wages payed to the officers, the war would of bene over long ago" (15 October 1862). He elaborated on 27 April 1863: "You wanted to know what I think of the war and the nigers? I don't like ether of them a dam."
In 1864, Sergeant Cory was captured with most of his regiment and spent time at Andersonville, but survived and was promoted to 2nd Lieutenant after the fighting. He married and raised seven children in Pennsylvania after the war. with--9 other letters to Peter Bailey from family members on the home front, 1861-63.