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Civil War Archive of Leonard B. Blinn, 21st and 100th Ohio Infantry, with Libby Prison Content. ... (Total: 2 )
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Description
Civil War Archive of Leonard B. Blinn, 21st and 100th Ohio Infantry, with Libby Prison Content. Two diaries dated June 8 to November 24, 1863 and January 1 to August 12, 1863, respectively; one postwar diary dated 1872, four pre-war receipts dated November 26, 1859 to June 28, 1860; one Merchants' Insurance Company of Hartford check dated August 8, 1863; one receipt dated October 24, 1863; eleven postwar receipts and legal documents dated July 18, 1865 to 1950; six postwar photographs of the Blinn family, and approximately 125 postwar family letters dated September 26, 1884 to December 18, 1937. Documents are written in pencil and ink. Wartime diaries measure 5.5" x 2.5" and pre- and post-war documents measure, on average, 7.25" x 9.5".Leonard B. Blinn enlisted on April 25, 1861 and was commissioned into Company C of the 21st Ohio Infantry as Second Lieutenant. He mustered out on August 12, 1861. One month later, he was commissioned into Company A of the 100th Ohio Infantry with the same rank. He was promoted to captain on May 13, 1863 and resigned on March 3, 1865.
The items featured in this lot date from when Blinn was with the 100th Ohio Infantry. Organized from July to September 1862, the regiment fought in several major campaigns. A year into their service, the 100th Ohio surrendered to Confederate forces at the Battle of Limestone Station on September 8, 1863 and were taken prisoner for several months. After their eventual exchange, soldiers participated in the Atlanta Campaign and subsequent siege on the city, the Battle of Nashville, and the surrender of Johnston's army.
Blinn's diary entries reflect his reactions to key moments during the height of the Civil War. On January 3, 1863, he remarked on two major Union victories: "Have just recc'd the President's Emancipation Proclamation with the joyful news that Rosencrans whipped Bragg. In hopes Bragg will stay whipped for it is unpleasant to hear of a defeat. There is general jubilee in camp!"
Although the soldiers at Blinn's camp began the year on a positive note, the harsh winter weather appeared to put the men on edge. On January 19, 1863, Blinn wrote, "Maj. Hayes is summoned to appear as President of a Court Martial to be held in Frankfort. One man from our Regiment is to be Court Martialed for using bad language and resisting an Officer."
After months of inactivity, Blinn's regiment participated in operations throughout southeastern Kentucky and East Tennessee. On September 8, 1863, the 100th Ohio encountered more than 1,000 Confederate troops led by General Alfred E. Jackson. The men engaged the rebels in a short skirmish. Blinn and his comrades quickly found themselves out of ammunition and surrounded by the enemy. Jackson captured over 250 Union soldiers, Blinn included, of which eighty-five died in rebel prisons.
Blinn documented his experiences in the battle, writing that same day, "Commenced fighting at sunrise. Fought one hour and 25 minutes and repulsed the enemy. Killed and wounded a large number. Company 'A' had two men wounded in this engagement. Retreated four miles and was surrounded by about 2000 Rebs under General Jones. Fought them four hours and surrendered at 4:00 PM. Had two more men wounded and three men missing presumed to be killed...After surrendering we were marched to Jonesboro distance from the battlefield 8 miles and were put into a Court House with nothing to eat."
Sent to the infamous Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, Blinn documented his time as an inmate. On September 10, he wrote, "Left for Lynchburg, Virginia. Almost there at 4:00 P.M. and marched up to Military Prison and for the first time in 48 hours received a small piece of bread and meat from the Rebs. We were most all famished."
Two months later, Blinn recorded several brief yet poignant entries throughout November. On the 13th, he wrote, "It seems as though the Confederacy was about played out or else they intend to starve us. Our rations today is 1/2 a small sweet potato and a small piece of corn cake not fit to eat."
On the 16th, he wrote, "About 100 of our sick prisoners were in front of this prison poor fellows could hardly stand up. We were throwing out old clothes to them and were cussed by the officers." The next day, he remarked, "The Prison caught fire today. Great excitement went for a few minutes."
His November 23 entry exemplified the violence that permeated throughout the prison. He wrote, "Report of a guard's gun last night. Rumor says the guard shot a soldier dead through the head for looking out the window. No meat today. Col. Cednola knocked a Rebel guard down for inpertinence [sic]."
Located in an old tobacco factory outside of Richmond, Libby Prison housed Union soldiers throughout the entirety of the war. Prisoners dubbed the facility the "Inferno of the slave Confederacy" and Union inmates faced chronic starvation, unsanitary living conditions, and harsh physical punishment. By the end of 1863, more than 1,000 prisoners were sequestered at the prison and forced to live in only two rooms with open windows that left them exposed to the elements.
On November 24, Blinn reported that several surgeons had been allowed to leave the prison. He wrote, "Surgeons all left today at twelve noon. They felt better than we do...A Major White of Pa. effected his escape. He passed out in the place of a surgeon who was sick." Only four days after the men left the prison, The New York Times published an article on the 28th titled, "Horrors of Richmond Prison: An Average of Fifty Victims a Day" which included statements from the men released on the 24th. Though the article had no political impact, it did successfully stoke northern outrage over the Confederacy's seemingly deplorable treatment of Union soldiers.
Blinn escaped on November 26, 1864 after being transferred to Columbia Prison in South Carolina. In addition to his wartime diaries, this lot also includes postwar letters and photographs.
Condition: 1863 account book worn along edges and spine. The text block is shaken. Heavy chipping to cover. 1863 diary scuffed with minor closed tear to tail of spine. 1872 diary worn with chipping and sunning to spine. Intermittent smudging, staining, and foxing for all documents. Letters creased along folds.
Auction Info
2023 September 21 Historical Manuscripts Signature® Auction #6272 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
September, 2023
21st
Thursday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 2
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