59. MASSIVE CDV ALBUM OF 1ST NYLA WITH MANY GENERALS,

Auction: 2006, Fall Americana, Nov. 16 & 17

Price Realized: $18,400.00

an untouched 8” x 7” leather album “straight from the family” containing 100 identified military cdvs including a veritable pantheon of 59 Army of the Potomac Generals with 39 other officers concentrated in Batteries B, C, D, E, F, G, and K, 1st New York Light Artillery, many with distinguished service at Gettysburg and during Grant’s 1864 summer campaign where a handful were later killed in action. Each carte is captioned in period pencil on the album sleeve having annotations dating as late as 1876 with most of the company and field grade officers bearing ink inscriptions as well. The lined index is blank. The extraordinary album appears to have been assembled late in the war as most of the Anthony generals bear revenue stamps while a number of the battery officers have either been discharged, promoted, or changed units. Implicitly, the officer-owner of the album is among the collection of photographs but nowhere does he identify himself nor are there any notations that might provide a clue. The cartes are mounted side-by-side four to a page with the generals comprising the first part of the album followed by the rest of the line officers.

The numerous General photographs including Custer, Doubleday, Merritt, Baxter and Rawlins among others of lesser renown are mostly common, but desirable views (none are autographed), encompassing the Army of the Potomac’s corps and division command with just a few higher profile brigadiers mixed in. They appear the following order with pertinent captions penned by the album’s anonymous owner indicated by quotes: Major General Scott, a lithograph of General US Grant, General Geo. B. McClellan,Com’dg at Fair Oaks; General Geo. G. Meade, Comd’g at Gettysburg; Gen. Sherman, Com’dg on the March to the Sea; Gen. Phil Sheridan, Com’dg Cavalry at Lee’s Surrender; General E.V. Sumner; Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside, Com’dg at Fredericksburg, Va.; Gen. McDowell; Gen. Fremont; Gen. Humphreys, Engineer; Gen. Warren, Com’dg 5th Corps Wilderness; Gen. Joe Hooker, Com’dg at Lookout Mountain; Gen. Banks, Com’dg at Port Hudson; Gen. Hancock, Com’dg 2nd Corps at Spotsylvania; Gen. Slocum, Com’dg 12th Corps at Fredericksburg; Gen. Sedgwick, Com’dg 6th Corps in Wilderness; Gen. Halleck, Adjt. Gen.; the obscure and unsung Gen. John G. Parke, Com’dg 9th Corps at Petersburg, Va.; Gen. Doubleday, A. of P.; Gen. Kilpatrick, Cavalry-Sheridan’s Right bower; Gen. Custer, Cavalry-The boy General with the golden locks. Sheridan’s left bower; Gen. O.O. Howard, Com’dg 11th Corps at Chancellorville; Gen. Gordon Granger - Cavalry, died at Santa Fe N.M., July 10, 1876 of apoplexy; Gen. Stoneman; Gen. Torbert, Cavalry; Gen. Averill, Cavalry; Gen. Robinson, Com’dg Division 5th Corps, lost leg at Spotsylvania, Va; Gen. Merritt, Cavalry; General Dan’l E. Sickles, Com’dg 3rd corps at Gettysburg & lost leg there with pejorative that could be read as DICK LES penciled next to name; Gen. Wadsworth, Com’dg Department of Washington 1862; Gen. Rawlings, Chief of Staff to Gen. Grant-Dead; Gen. Barry, Chief of Artillery Sherman’s March; Gen. Wright, 6th Corps; Gen. Dix, Elected Governor of NY. 1872; Gen. John Pope, Com’dg 2nd Bull Run, Headquarters in the Saddle; Gen. Rousseau, Cavalry; Gen. Cutler, Com’dg 4th Div., 5th Corps, A. of P.; Gen. Baldy Smith; Gen. French, Com’dg 3rd Corps; Gen. Patrick, P.M. (provost marshal general), A. of P.; Gen. C.C. Augur; Gen. Gregg, Cavalry; obscure regular officer Gen. Lewis Cass Hunt, 2nd Corps; and colonel 93rd NY/major 14 US Inf.; Gen. Carr, Com’dg Brigade 3rd Corps; Gen. Grierson, Cavalry; Maj. Gen. John Buford, Cavalry; Gen. Baxter, Com’dg Brigade 5th Corps, A. of P.; Gen. (Alexander B.) Hays; Gen. Stahl, Cavalry; Gen. (John F.) Farnsworth, Illinois; Gen. Ingalls, Q.M. Gen. A. of P.; Gen. Newton, 1st Corps A. of P.; Gen. (Adelbert) Ames; Maj. Gen. John F. Reynolds, com’dg Right Wing A. of P. at Gettysburg & Killed July 1st; Gen. Benj. F. Butler, Hero of Dutch Gap Canal; Maj. Gen. Franz Siegel, Com’dg 11th Corps A. of P.; Gen. (Hiram G.) Berry; Gen. (Romeyn) Ayres, Com’dg 3rd Div. 5th Corps, A. of P.; with lithographs of Hon. E.M. Stanton, Secry of War, and Hon. Gideon Wells, Secry of the Navy.

The second part of the album comprises 39 captioned cdvs of ink-signed line and staff officers all but two in uniform. Sixteen are captains and lieutenants from the various veteran batteries that constituted the 1st New York Light Artillery, hard fought at Gettysburg. Six more are various staff officers serving in provost, commissary, and quartermaster billets. There are two regular army surgeons and two officers from the 5th USLA and 6th NYHA with one each from the 6th NYLA, 14th Brooklyn, 2nd NYHA, 2nd Maine Battery, 1st Maryland Infantry, 1st Maryland Light Artillery, 2nd OVC, and 34th NY Battery. Aside from the Gettysburg personalities four of the officers were wounded and two killed in action with two more promoted brevet brigadier general.

The first cdv is the storied Major Thomas Ward Osborn who commanded of the 11th Corps Artillery Brigade at Gettysburg (see Osborn’s report in O.R.’s). The carte bears the imprint of “Hart’s, Watertown, NY” and is signed in Osborn’s hand on verso. Osborn’s five batteries arrived on the field piecemeal and were committed to close combat on the outskirts of town even as the 11th Corps began its withdrawal through Gettysburg forcing his gunner’s to hold the enemy in check. By the next day Osborn had received reinforcements from the artillery reserve and adroitly placed 52 guns covering the Cemetery Hill defensive line in a commanding position on the right of the Baltimore road, perfectly sited for counter-battery fire. During Pickett’s Charge Osborn’s guns hammered densely packed Confederate infantry and he concluded that “I am convinced that the fire from the hill was one of the main auxiliaries in breaking the force of this grand charge.” The 11th Corps, Artillery Brigade marker is located on West Howard Avenue commemorating the role of Osborn and his gunners.

Next is Lt. Colonel Edmund R. Travis, 6th NYHA (WIA Spotsylvania 5/18/64, discharged 7/21/64); Colonel Guilford D. Bailey, 1st NYLA (KIA Fair Oaks, Va., 5/31/62); Capt. Charles E. Mink, Battery H, 1st NYLA (WIA Spotsylvania CH, mo 6/16/65); Capt. David R. Ritchie, Batteries A/H/C, 1st NYLA (mo 6/17/65); 2nd Lieut. Charles Humphreys, 6th NYLA & Battery E, 1st NYLA (fought at Gettysburg in 6th NYLA as private, re-enlisted & promoted, mo 6/1/6/65, subsequent service in US Army from 5/67); 1st Lieut. William H. Shelton, Batteries G/L, 1st NYLA (fought at Gettysburg in Battery L, 1st NYLA, re-enlisted & promoted, mo 6/17/65); 2nd Lieut. E. Oliver Kinnie, Battery L, 1st NYLA (mo 6/17/65); Capt. Nelson Ames, Battery G, 1st NYLA (mentioned in O.R.’s for Gettysburg, mo 10/15/64); Capt. Robert E. Rogers, Batteries B/C, 1st NYLA (at Gettysburg, mo 6/18/65); 1st Lieut. Lester I. Richardson, Battery D, 1st NYLA (at Gettysburg, WIA Weldon RR, Va., discharged for disability 2/2/65); 1st Lieut. B.W. Miller, signed “1st Lt 1st NY Arty” but not found on rosters; Capt. James B. Hazelton, Batteries C/G/D, 1st NYLA, (at Gettysburg, mo 6/16/65, subsequent service in US Army 5/66-11/73); 2nd Lieut. Augustus Millot, Battery G, 1st NYLA (mo 6/19/65); Brevet Major Carl L. Berlin, Battery C, 1st NYLA (Inspector of artillery, General Barry’s HQ 2/64, ADC to Chief of Artillery, mo 6/17/65); 1st Lieut. William J. Canfield, Batteries E/L, 1st NYLA (mo 10/17/64); Colonel Edward B. Fowler, 14th Brooklyn, 84th NY. Led the 1st Corps regiment at Gettysburg and was conspicuous in the attack on the Railroad Cut loosing 68% of those engaged at Gettysburg (WIA 2nd Bull Run 8/29/62, promoted brevet brigadier general 3/13/65); Brevet Major Jacob Roemer, 34th NY Battery, wearing oak leaves and 9th Corps badge on single-breasted frock coat (brevetted major 12/2/64, mo 6/21/65); 1st Lieut. George H. Barse, Batteries E/G, 1st NYLA (mo 6/16/65); 2nd Lieut. Adolphus S. Goodrich, Battery D, 1st NYLA, wearing large metal 5th Corps badge on lapel (mo 6/16/65); Capt. Solon W. Stocking, Batteries K/F, 1st NYLA, (mo 6/20/65); Brevet Major Jacob B. Rawles, 5th USLA (brevet captain for “gallantry” at Port Hudson, brevet major for “gallantry” during Appomattox, retired USA 4/15/1903 as brigadier general); Dr. M.B. Mosser, Assistant Surgeon RA; 1st Lieut. Fordham Morris, Co. B, 6th NYHA (mo 6/28/65); Captain Albert F. Thomas, 2nd Maine Battery (at Gettysburg as 1st lieut., discharged 1/22/65); civilian view of New York staff officer A.J. Bliss signed as “Capt & ADC”; Assistant Surgeon Benjamin Howard in civilian dress (formerly 4th NYHA, resigned 12/28/64); Colonel & Brevet Brigadier General David Leroy Stanton, 1st MD Infantry (POW Front Royal, Va. 5/23/62, WIA Harris’ Farm, Va. 5/19/64, WIA Weldon R.R. 8/18/64, promoted colonel 3/20/65, promoted brevet brigadier general 4/1/65); Capt. Van Buren Bates, Co. D, 70th NY, Excelsior Brigade, wearing unidentified two-piece metal suspension badge and signed as “Capt. & Provost Marshal, 3rd Corps” (discharged 4/9/64); a surgeon wearing military vest signed “S.W. Chapee MD/3rd Battery Me Vols.” (not found in rosters); Capt. James H. Rigby, Battery A, 1st Maryland LA, commanded battery at Gettysburg (see Rigby’s report in O.R.s, mo 3/11/65); New York staff officer Harry Crawford signed as “Capt. & CS, Brooklyn, NY.” Staff officer Capt. L. Muzzy signed as “A.C.S. Boston, Mass.” Staff officer Captain Geo. W. Mears signed as “ACS.” 1st Lieut. Theodore P. Hamlin, Co. H, 2nd OVC (mo 12/3/64); 1st Lieut. Thomas Goodman, Co. K, 6th NJ detached to Battery B, 4th USLA with lengthy ink inscription on verso reading, “Died in Hospital at Washington, D.C. June 1, 1864 of a wound in the head received at Spotsylvania May 8, 1864 while serving with Battery B, 4th US Artillery.” Staff officer Capt. Frederick Gerker in civilian clothes signed “ACS, Baltimore” (brevetted major 7/18/65, mo 10/9/65); Capt. Angel Mathewson, Batteries K/A/G/E, 1st NYLA, (WIA North Anna River, 5/24/65, mo 6/16/65); and last an early horizontal outdoor group shot of seven officers identified by a numbered key as: 1. Capt. Muzzy, 2. Lieut. Canfield, 3. Dr. De Fontaine, 4. unknown “A.M,” 5. Capt. Crittenden, 6. Lieut. Morris, 7. Capt Crawford. Cdvs of staff officers Muzzy and Crawford and battery Lieutenant Canfield are included in the album but the others as well as the rear area location are unknown.

A remarkable Civil War album reflecting substantial history untouched for nearly 140 years.

Cdvs are generally VG, the majority with minor foxing from storage and light edge and corner wear. Fancy leather album is gold embossed with raised brass hobnails and embellished closures tabs. Exterior spine is loosening with heavy wear and partial separation at boards. Traces of very minor water contact noted along top edge of first few pages but paper not rippled.

(EST $20000-$30000)

Price Realized: $18,400.00

Price includes buyer's premium.