Feb 21, 2008 - Sale 2137

Sale 2137 - Lot 263

Price Realized: $ 3,840
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 2,500 - $ 3,500
"IT IS ALL THE CONSOLATION A SOLDIER HAS . . ." (MILITARY.) Autograph Letter Signed from African-American Civil War soldier Robert M. King to his father Joshua. Single, lined 8vo sheet of stationery, folded to form four pages, written in carefully formed block-letters with some script; creases where folded and some splits at same with no loss of letters or text ; some staining and pencil scribbling to what was the outer portion that formed the self-envelope. Folly Island, South Carolina, August 30, 1861 (sic, 1864)
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A very touching letter from a black volunteer to his father, family and friends. "My Dear Father it is with great pleasure that I drop you A few lines to let you no that I am well and doing well and hope when those few lines comes to your hand that thay may Find you in the same good heath + the family also. The boys are all well. . . Father I want you to try + write little oftener then you doe write. Every week it is all the Consolation A Soldier has is to get letters from his Parriants + friends and loveers. It is said that our Regt. will be paid off the 15th of Sept. I can't say wother it is so or not. ef it is so I will send somethings to you. . . Daniel says give his love to Miss Alona j. Lott + to Margaret Moreland + to Aunt Holen + Jack + tell him we aint forgot how to Steal eggs yet or chickens + ask him ef he has forgot that night under the bridge or not when that Old hen said Squar the night we got them from our flat nose friend . . . give me all the news that's going on thear I still Remain your son unto Death. Sargent Robert M. King. Company K 55th Regiment Massachusetts Volunteers. To Joshua King my Father at New Richmond Clermont County, Ohio."
Robert M. King, a farmer, enlisted in the 55th Massachusetts Volunteers on June 11, 1863. He rose to the rank of sergeant and was "killed carrying the colors at the battle of Honey Hill, South Carolina on November 30th, 1864." (Moebs, Black Soldiers, Black Sailors, Black Ink, page 454.) Provenance, the collection of Dorothy Porter-Wesley.