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Tragic Andersonville Prison Diary. A 3.25" x 5" leatherette diary which provides a poignant daily record of the decline and ...
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Description
Tragic Andersonville Prison Diary. A 3.25" x 5" leatherette diary which provides a poignant daily record of the decline and death of a young man imprisoned in the infamous Andersonville Prison. This is the diary of Charles E. Bingham, a private in "D" Company, 5th New York Cavalry. Bingham was 19 years old at the time of his enlistment on February 15, 1864. His diary commences on February 28, 1864 and mainly details the daily drudgery of camp life and training in Oswego, New York. Towards the middle of March the daily entries become more interesting as his company marches to Baltimore and Washington, D.C. and the imminent move towards battle. On March 16th he writes: "...drawed [sic] a cavalry jacket", March 17th: "...drawed my sadle [sic] and horse equipment", March 18th: "...drawed my saber and then my horse" and March 24th: "...got up this morning was ordered to git [sic] ready for 3 days march drawed my rations". Bingham's company ultimately camped near Stevensburg, Virginia and his diary once again chronicles the routine of camp life. Early in May, Bingham begins to hear the sound of the guns and describes action near Spotsylvania Court House. On June 1, 1864, on a road somewhere between Ashland and Hanover, Virginia, Bingham was captured.His entry for June 1, 1864 reads (as written): "got up this morning moved forward did not git enny breakfast marched a bout 3 miles on the road from Hanover to Ashland I was with the pack horses the rebs come up in our rear yeled and fired we could not do enny thing but run I went in the wood to the left of the road went a mile...we did not know which way to go when up came the rebs and took us prisnor marched 3 miles stayed up all night 2 more boys with me." Over the next several days he calmly describes his move to Libby Prison in Richmond and the subsequent train journey to Camp Sumter, better known as Andersonville Prison. Bingham dutifully records his daily waking time, what he manages to eat, when he goes to bed, and usually a comment about the weather. As the weeks press on he describes the monotony of the daily fare of beans, mush, cornbread, rice, bread, salt, and meat and the trading amongst prisoners to obtain food. He describes being "struck in the mouth by a dutchman", the "direa" he suffers from, and his reading of the Bible. In August of 1864, conditions at the prison have obviously caught up with him and he develops sores on his feet and legs. On August 31, 1864, he suffers through a painful operation to remove "a lump of dead flesh as big as a silver dolor [sic] and a quarter of an inch thick". Bringing this operation intimately to the reader is that the pages of the diary from this point are stained with what must certainly be blood. As the days go by and the wound gets worse, he writes of sleeping poorly and of the smell of his wound. On September 5, 1864, Bingham writes: "the Doctor came around and looked at my foot he asked me if I would have it taken off I told him yes at 10 they took me up and it was taken off just above the ancle [sic] it did not pain me much for they gave me Cloform [sic] I was put in the 10 ward it pains me very much but take 2 morfen [sic] try to sleep." Even though he is in pain and obviously dying, Bingham continues to make a daily entries into his diary - "I have my wounds dressed today the wound dresser says it looks good but I can hardly believe him it pains me very bad". On Sunday, September 11, 1864, Charles E. Bingham makes the final entry in the diary: "git [sic] up a 6 git beef tea at nine git bread rise [sic] & meat have my wounds dressed twice it pains me very much I am so week [sic] I can hardly write git rise [sic] & molasses at 5 turn in for sleep at 8 very warm to day". Bingham died on September 15, 1864 and is buried in grave #10005 at Andersonville Cemetery. Bingham did not miss a day of entering a note in his diary from February 28, 1864 until September 11, 1864. His entries are calm and understated, and he displays a certain grace under the obvious hardships he must have suffered. This diary, though small in size, has an enormous potential for research.
Included with the diary is a hand-tinted ¼ plate tintype of a cavalry soldier purported to be Charles Bingham. The image shows a standing cavalry trooper holding his sword and revolver. The image is uncased but still retains its gold mat. The plate is slightly dented and the image is not entirely sharp but it is still in very good condition.
Auction Info
2007 June Civil War Grand Format Auction #663 (go to Auction Home page)
Auction Dates
June, 2007
24th-25th
Sunday-Monday
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 7
Lot Tracking Activity: N/A
Page Views: 1,822
Buyer's Premium per Lot:
19.5% of the successful bid per lot.
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