Apr 16, 2019 - Sale 2505

Sale 2505 - Lot 68

Price Realized: $ 4,000
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,000 - $ 3,000
(CIVIL WAR--VERMONT.) Warren, Daniel D. Diaries of a Vermont cavalryman during the Civil War. 6 pocket diaries, black wallet-style bindings; some light wear, first two lightly dampstained; generally clean and legible. Vp, 1863-69

Additional Details

Pocket diaries belonging to Daniel Dart Warren (1836-1902) of Pawlet, VT, including two that cover his service during the Civil War. Warren enlisted as a private with Company H of the 1st Vermont Cavalry in November 1861. He mustered out in November 1864, having survived the Battle of Gettysburg where he was captured by the Confederates and sent to Belle Isle Prison. His two war-year diaries record the events leading up to Gettysburg, his time at Belle Isle, and his capture and imprisonment for desertion several months later.
The entry for 11 May 1863 is typical: "Pleasant, very warm. Left camp at 7:00 this morning. Went to Washington Junction where the rest of the Brigade lay. Camped in the woods. Had an alarm, had to mount and go out, it was nothing but five Rebs took one of our men that was outside the picket. Have no rations today." He describes activity leading up to and during the Battle of Gettysburg. "July 1: Showery. Started at 11:00, marched to Emmetsburg and halted. On picket for an hour or two and moved past Berlin four miles and counter marched. Came back through Berlin. Camped for the night. Heard firing on our left. It was Pleasonton. July 2: Showery. Fell back to Abbottown. Formed a line of battle, skirmishing commenced about 10 in the direction of York. Started here at 11. Went towards Gettysburg. Came in the Rebel rear, they were fighting. Went to Hunterstown, had a fight, stayed till midnight. July 3: Showery. Left Hunterstown at midnight. Got to Gettysburg at daylight. The far left at 10:00; went to our left; charged; was taken prisoner."
Now a captive of the Confederate Army, he records his arrival at prison on 22 July: "Got to Richmond at daybreak. Put into a tobacco warehouse, was searched, got a quarter loaf of bread; marched to Belle Island. Signed our parole, drew rations. A lot went to City Point." The subsequent entries record the arrival and departure of prisoners, poor rations, and the general struggle of life in a Confederate prison camp. On 16 October he writes, "One man shot last night. The guard shot at a man in the camp but hit the wrong one. Got wood last night; got good rations this morning. Took out a lot of sick today." Prisoners on Belle Isle were housed in tents, suffering from exposure to the elements and short rations. On 27 December, Warren was paroled: "Got the news about 10:00 that 500 were to be paroled, were called out at noon. Paroled. Drew one day's rations and marched one mile below Richmond and took the boat."
Warren received a brief furlough after release from Belle Isle, and happily records time spent back home among his family. Despite reporting back for duty, Warren was arrested on 14 April for having overstayed his furlough. He reports being sent to Federal Hill, recording on April 18: "Pleasant, had a grand review of the troops around Baltimore, the President came to town, was a salute of 21 guns fired. Some prisoners came in and some went away. April 19: Pleasant and some wind. About 50 men came in this morning, some went away, a lot of negro troops left here today." He was subsequently transferred to Annapolis, where he was sentenced to 60 days of hard labor and loss of all back pay. In October he reports on activity by Mosby's Rangers, and in November happily records mustering out on November 18, writing on the 19th, "feel like a free man this morning." An excellent and detailed record of one soldier's experiences in the Civil War, including the key battle at Gettysburg and time spent as a prisoner of both sides; together with several years accounting of his life after the war. A transcript of the Civil War diaries is included.