1863 Union Soldier’s Letter - John P. Garrett, 97th New York Infantry

Description

1863 Union Soldier’s Letter - John P. Garrett, 97th New York Infantry
Offered for your consideration is a short missive written from a Union soldier, with its original transmittal envelope. Headlined “
at HdQrs of 97
th
Regt N Y Vol’s
/
Camp near Bell Plain Va.
” and dated “
Feb 10/63
”, this letter is addressed to “
Friend Ed
S. H.
” (Edward S. Hughes based on the name on the envelope). The author opens by stating that “
This is Tuesday, the second in February – and such a warm, sunny day. It is too bad to have such weather wasted & the farming lands go unimproved, by the residents farmers here, but such is “secession war”. It is on them by their own choosing, their farms cut up by roads, fences gone to ashes, and things generally in ill condition for commencement of the spring work
…”. He then begins to discuss a missing box, but then drops the issue for a time, noting instead that “…
We, to day had each man, a loaf of soft Bread for rations and it is fine after having tacks so long. The bread is baked about half a mile from us, and about 1000 loaves per day, each weigh 22 os
…”. He returns the following day to the missing box, writing that “…
HW returned last evening without finding the Box
…” and requesting that the recipient “…
to see Anson before next mail and inquire of him specially respecting the Box which he had in charge for us
…
We want first a particular description of it, the size, shape, color; marks (if any) and particularly where he left it, in whose charge, and if a Rect was taken for it, or a record made of it
…
Will you be so good as to get answers to all these and forward at once – and (private) not tell Anson that you are going to send answers but request
him to do so
by the first mail
…”. The letter concludes with “
Yours J P G
”, followed by a pencil notation (somewhat difficult to decipher) reading “
3 ft
15 in x 15 in square
stained brown
JPG on card nailed on the end C over fastened with scissors
no receipt taken agent they’d be right no key left south end of building next door
”, presumably the answers to the questions regarding the box. This letter is accompanied by its original transmittal envelope, bearing a 3¢ pink/rose stamp with a portrait of George Washington at the upper left. The envelope is addressed to “
Edward S Hughes (or Ed. Garrett)
/
South Trenton
/
Oneida County
/
New York
” and is marked in a different hand at the top “
Answered Feb’y 17 1863
”. Though containing no battle content, this piece is interesting for the search for the missing package (I’m sure that many people can relate to this situation today). Great to have with its original envelope.
John P. Garrett
, according to available records, was 44 years old when he enlisted on September 13, 1862 in Utica, New York. He was mustered in as a private in Company “E”, 97
th
New York Volunteer Infantry on October 4, 1862. He was mustered out with his company near Washington, D. C. on July 18, 1865, apparently without advancing in rank. The 97
th
New York Volunteer Infantry was present at all of the major actions in the Eastern Theater of operations from the battle of Cedar Mountain through the surrender at Appomattox Court House. The regiment would lose 181 men killed or mortally wounded, as well as 157 men who died from disease during its term of service.
The presently offered letter exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by many years of remarkably good storage. Light toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting an off-white to beige hue to the paper. This toning is slightly more pronounced at the edges and along the postal folds, though this difference appears quite small. A few small stains can be seen, none of which are particularly dark or large enough to seriously impact the overall eye-appeal of the piece (they seem to be mostly related to the ink used). A few of the aforementioned folds have adversely affected the integrity of the paper, with small holes being seen at the junctions when the piece is held to the light, as well as at the edges. The contrast is average, though the pencil notation at the conclusion is very light and difficult to read. Executed in period ink on white paper, this piece measures approximately 4⅞ x 7⅞ inches when folded and 7⅞ x 9¾ inches when laid flat. The envelope is light yellow in appearance, whether from fading or as its original color is unknown to the seller. Expected dirt and smudges are present, as is some minor toning at the edges. The stamp bears a circular postmark from Washington, D.C., with the date of mailing at the center. The letter was removed by cutting the left end. This piece measures approximately 3 x 5⅜ inches, with the left end being slightly irregular. Any additional questions regarding condition should be addressed before purchasing.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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