LOT #35124 |
Sold on Feb 11, 2010 for: Not Sold
7th Iowa Cavalry Archive of Eight Letters with Indian Content Centered Around Enos Hammer, a member of the Cavalry and nephe...
Click the image to load the highest resolution version.
Description
7th Iowa Cavalry Archive of Eight Letters with Indian Content Centered Around Enos Hammer, a member of the Cavalry and nephew of Captain Elisha Hammer, under whom he served. Enos enlisted in his uncle's regiment on March 2, 1863, and died of an unknown illness on July 17, 1864. The archive contains four letters from Enos to family members, two from Jabe S. Beals (a Hammer relation) to Enos' father Henry Hammer, one from Captain Elisha Hammer to his brother Henry Hammer, and one to Enos from his friend George Nicholl. Letters range in date from October 17, 1863 to August 12, 1864.Enos' letters contain accounts of the movements of the regiment and his day-to-day activities. In his September 16th letter, he writes to his brother about a buffalo hunt (errors intact): "Yester day we seen fore buffa lows in about fore miles from camp. The boys was all a watching them when we seen another acoming full tilt towards the fort. It came about a qurter [mile] from the fort when we seen a man just before the buffalo like he was a running for life. He came up to some of the boys and told them to get some guns and shoot some buffalows. They struck for the stables on double quick... in the evening they came in with theire hosses loaded with buffalo hams."
In Enos' June 3rd letter to his father, penned when Enos was based in Topeka, he discusses the local Indian population: "Between here and Fort Riley the Country is principaly settled by Indians or halfbreeds. They have large farms and pretty good houses. It looked curious to [see] Indians plowing corn." He also mentions that he has "got a big bile [boil] on my face and it is as big again as it ought to be." The next letter in chronology comes from Jabe Beals to Enos' father Henry, and notes that Enos is quite ill; the following letter in chronology, from Captain Elisha Hammer to his brother Henry, was penned just hours before Enos passed away and echoes Jabe's worry that Enos will not recover. The final letter in the archive, from Jabe Beals to Enos' father Henry, confirms that Enos has passed away, and discusses Enos' last fretful hours. All letters are age toned, with minor to moderate fold separations and wear. Generally very good condition.
The 7th Iowa Cavalry was organized at Camp Hendershott, Davenport, in mid-1863, and ordered to duty against the Indians in the Nebraska, Dakota, Colorado, and Kansas regions.
Auction Info
2010 February Signature Historical Manuscripts Auction #6039 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
February, 2010
11th-12th
Thursday-Friday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 1
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,520
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
Shipping, Taxes, Terms and Bidding
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms
Important information concerning Sales Tax and Resale Certificates. Learn More
Terms and Conditions | Bidding Guidelines and Bid Increments | Glossary of Terms