Original Listing Description

Up for auction is the wonderful archive of 3 civil war diaries from a woman named Augusta M. Ward, whose brother Artemas Ward, was a soldier in the 15th Massachusetts Regiment and was wounded in Gettysburg. Augusta was in her 30’s when she wrote the diaries, and she followed the war closely. Included in this archive is an 1863 diary, 1864 diary, and 1865 diary. Her diaries contain numerous entries about the war, including entries on a Gettysburg and her brother being wounded, the death of Stonewall Jackson, resignation of General Hooker, Death of General Sigwick, the surrender of Lee, assassination of Lincoln, capture and killing of John Wilkes booth, the hanging of the Conspirators, etc, etc. There are also numerous entries on how the civil war affected the people of Warwick, Massachusetts including soldier deaths, injuries, and soldiers captured & held in rebel prisons. Listed below are some notable excerpts from the diaries, though there are still a few other Civil War related entries in the journal which are not included in the list. The diaries all have an entry for every day with the exception of the 1864 diary which has no entry for 6/21/1864. The diaries are all different sizes, the 1863 one is 5 x 3 1/4 inches, 1864 is 4 7/8 x 3 inches, and 1865 4 x 2 5/8 inches. The diaries are all written in ink. For the most part the entries are neat and legible for those who are accustomed to reading old cursive. The covers have some minor wear but overall display nicely. Also included in this lot are some print outs I was able to find on Artemas Ward & his time in the army. Excerpts from diaries:18631/8 “Severe fighting at Vicksburg”1 22 “We hear that Burnsides army is moving has crossed the river”1/31 “General Hooker takes the Potomac Army”2/1 “Samuel Moore’s hung himself at Northfield today.”2/7 “53rd Regiment is at Tortugas Islands”2/14 “Had another letter from Artemas, the ninth army has left Falmouth”2/21 “The 36th are at Fortress Monroe, no movement now.”3/24 “Went to the Lyceum heard a address from Hon Wm Windom upon the causes and results of this terrible war”3/25 “The ninth army corps has gone and the 36th are gone to Kentucky and the 21st Regiment”5/1 “Gen Hookers army has crossed the Rappahannock ”5 5 “There has been terrible fighting going on in Hookers army”5/9 “Received a letter from Artemas saying he had been in a battle before Fredericksburg Gen Hooker has had a hard fight”5/16 “Stonewall Jackson is dead the papers are sure of it.”5/25 “news that Vicksburg is taken”6/8 “Report that Gen Hooker has crossed Rappahannock. Gen grant is besieging Vicksburg”6 30 “heard there had been terrible fighting at Port Hudson Jacob Raynor was wounded there”7/1 “Gen Hooker has resigned Gen Meade takes his place. Dark gloomy times.”7/5 “Jacob Raynor has had his leg amputated ”7 6 “Terrible fighting we heard there had been in Gettysburg on Friday last Col Ward of the 15th killed.”7/7 “Theodore Putnam was wounded at Gettysburg”7 8 “News came that Vicksburg surrendered on the 4th”7/10 “Had a letter from Artemas he was wounded in the shoulder on the 2nd is in the hospital at Philadelphia ”7 14 “A Terrible riot commenced in New York yesterday opposition to the draft”7/16 “George Hatch has been drafted drafting is going on all over the state, we hear Port Hudson has surrendered ”7 24 “Josiah Proctor has enlisted in the heavy artillery ”7 30 “The Rebel Morgan is taken”8/18 “Milton Bliss oldest son has died in the army”8/30 “All societies came to our Church this afternoon to the funeral of John Caldwell Mr Blanchard text Psalm 23rd,, 4th the returned soldiers for bearers John enlisted on his 19th birthday died on the 20th Aug 25th.”9/8 “Received a letter from Artemas. All sick that belong to the 36th but Mr Cooper and Joseph Williams ”9 25 “Gen Rosecrans has been having a terrible battle near Chat[t]anooga”10 16 “Mr Mills had a son killed at Chicamauga [Chickamauga] Georgia ”10 20 “The President has called for 300,000 more men”11/7 “There was a battle in Virginia ”11 16 “Gen Burnside’s resignation has been accepted Gen Foster put in his place.”11/30 “Terrible account we have of the Union prisoners suffering at Richmond and too true ” Memoranda at rear list names of 22 local men drafted in July & deaths of 7 Warwick soldiers including John B. Caldwell who died on his 20th birthday (an earlier entry mentions he enlisted on his 19th birthday), and a list of 6 battles 18642 17 “Charles E. Randall has enlisted from here”2/18 "S. C. Reed & Charles R. Gale were round procuring our last quota of soldiers”2/23 “George Cook came home today and is discharged. Henry Manning came home on furlough, & has reenlisted”3 8 “Charles Jones was killed at the battle in Florida” 3/13 “Arlan Atherton is here on furlough and has reenlisted”3 17 “Amos Taylor has enlisted again”3/23 “Gen Grant takes the place of Gen Hallick [Halleck]”5/7 “Heard of fighting in Gen Butlers & Gen Mead’s division took place yesterday & day before”5/11 “We heard of Gen Sedgwick being killed and more fighting, fighting commenced Thursday last”5/14 “Sumner Lincoln is wounded in the knee, and Lyman is killed we hear”5/17 “14 men have been drafted from Warwick”5/27 “We hear Joseph Sawyer is killed, Harwood Proctor is a prisoner we fear”5/29 “Henry Fuller is wounded and missing”5/30 “Joseph Sawyer is not killed but wounded and taken prisoner I hear”6/2 “Papers say the siege of Richmond is begun”6/6 “Gen Grant is within twelve miles of Richmond” 7/6 “The Pirate Alabama is sunk”7/9 “Another Rebel raid in progress into Maryland and Pennsylvania dark times. One hundred days men called out from the states.”8/2 “There has been an unsuccessful attack upon Petersburg”8 25 “Heard Arlan Atherton was killed”8/26 “Heard James Delvee was severely wounded”9/3 “It has been seen in a paper that Arlan Atherton is in Libby Prison”9/15 “Edward Davis is missing. Henry Manning is prisoner”9/22 “Arlan Atherton we hear is paroled or exchanged and is at Annapolis. We hear of a great Victory by Gen Sheridan in Shenandoah valley” 10/25 “Amos Taylor has been heard from, is a prisoner in Virginia somewhere” 11/14 “President Lincoln is elected”12/3 “Much anxiety is felt about Gen Sherman”12/8 “Mrs Albee has heard that her brother died in Andersonville”12 12 “We hear but little from the army now communication cut off”12/14 “Dreadful accounts we have of starvation and suffering of our prisoners, now being exchanged and others” Memoranda at the rear lists 2 local soldier deaths and 1 missing & list of 14 men drafted in Warwick 18651 6 “The enrolled men of Warwick, Northfield & Orange, meet at Orange to choose captain. Henry Jilson [Jillson] was chosen captain.”1/13 “Gen Butler is relieved of his command because of the Wilmington failure” 1/24 “Glorious news from the army now”3/4 “Inauguration of President Lincoln the second time”4/4 “Quite a public demonstration over the news Richmond is Taken & Petersburg”4 10 “Heard the good news that Gen Lee’s army is taken”4/15 “Terrible news of President Lincoln’s death and other assasinations”4 18 “J. Wilkes Booth is the man who killed the President it appears.”4/19 “There were union services here at the Unitarian Church at the same hour of the President’s Funeral, and consecration of the new burying ground afterwards”4 27 “Booth that killed the President was caught and killed.”5/10 “Disabled soldiers, those on parole, and recruits are being discharged”5 15 “Jeff Davis is caught we hear”7/7 “Heard today that Harold [Herold], Payne [Powell?], and Atzeroth [Azteroth], and Mrs. Surratt, we’re hung as assassins” ***Memoranda at the rear lists 2 local soldier deaths Please look at all the photos to further note the conditionThe cost of shipping includes insurance & signature confirmation (Condition: Pre-Owned)

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