Mar 21, 2024 - Sale 2663

Sale 2663 - Lot 424

Price Realized: $ 2,000
?Final Price Realized includes Buyer’s Premium added to Hammer Price
Estimate: $ 1,000 - $ 1,500
(SLAVERY.) Group of 6 letters commenting on the lives of freedmen and enslaved people during the Civil War. 6 Autograph Letters Signed, each 2 to 4 pages, in one folder; condition generally strong. Various places, 1862-1864
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Frederick E. Ranger, Lieutenant in 22nd New York Infantry, to wife in Glens Falls, NY. "We are located on a plantation belonging to a widow lady named Alsopp, just in the edge of a splendid piece of woods, with the largest wheat field in front you ever saw. . . . She has got a beautiful place, a large brick mansion with fine grounds. She owns 70 niggers. I saw them out hoeing corn in an immense field today, men & women together." Written from "Bivouac in the woods, 6 miles south of Fredericksburg," VA, 26 May 1862.

Thomas E. Smith to wife. A United States Navy officer in Virginia "considers this plantation as my own": "3/4 mile below from my vesel thare is a fine plantation called Sanda Point. . . . Thare is a large flour mill on the plantation, and in the mill thare is a large quantity of fine wheat, and the niggars is helping themselves, and thare is a large crib ful of corn. . . . I found a fine garden, plenta of all kinds of fruit, fine peaches, plums and apels will be ripe in two weaks. I have forbiden the niggars taken aney of the fruit, but give them as much wheat and corn as thay want. I consider this plantation as my own as long as I am at this station, and shal keep a gard over the peaches and apels." James River, VA, aboard the U.S. Schooner Arletta, 12 August 1862.

Olney Worthen as private in the 19th Maine Infantry, to his sister, on patriotic letterhead. "Some contrabands come to our lines most every night. Last Monday night 18 of them come to our lines, men, women, and children. They come from Md. about 25 miles from here. They started about 10 o'clock at night and got here about 4 or 5 in the morning. They had 2 of them stopt here for waiters for our Capts and the rest went on to Washington. They had not been gorn more than 2 hours before one of there masters come after his slaves. He said he lost a woman and child, and he said that last spring he lost 4 of his best men, and he coud not get them. He went on after this woman, but I see him go back without her. He said he knew whare she was, but he could not get her now." Fort Meigs, [Coral Hills, MD],13 September 1862.

"Brother Ned" to sister. "The means of getting a living are far better than at the north, I think. . . . The luxury of having colored servants is not to be resisted. . . . It will be a long time before their real condition will be very much changed. They make good servants and you get their good will, they will do anything for you. Ben our boy who waits on us at table, wanted me to buy him the other day as his master was going to sell him, and he said he would like to belong to me. I told him I did not think the investment good. . . . A Negro who a few years ago would command $1500 in this market will not today sell for over $300 or $350 and prices will run still lower. I have seen men and women sold since I came here at auction, and must confess it did not exactly agree with my old New England notions, in fact it is a hard sight." Louisville, KY, 14 May 1864.

James S. Kimball to grandfather, on United States Christian Commission letterhead. "I spent four weeks in Louisville, where I became very much interested in visiting Taylor's Barracks, the rendezvous for Kentucky colored recruits and conscripts. I used to find sometimes a thousand out here, and held interesting prayer meetings with them. They were very desirous of learning to read, and the officers told me they picked up the drill very fast." Nashville, TN, 23 November 1864.

James S. Kimball to sister Alice, on United States Christian Commission letterhead. "Last evening I spent in teaching some little colored children to read. One of them said that Adam lived in the Garden of Egypt." Nashville, TN, 7 December 1864.