34TH MASS. LT. COLONEL ANDREW POTTER ARCHIVE A superb archive of material including letters, diaries, promotion documents and other material related to Bvt. Col. Andrew Potter of the 34th Mass. Infantry. A 26 year-old attorney, Potter enlisted on July 6, 1862 and eventually rose through the ranks to command a brigade following the battle of Cedar Creek. He was twice wounded, at Piedmont and at Winchester, yet lived to see the end of the war, at Appomattox. This fine lot includes: an extraordinary A.L.S., 3pp. 4to., Fort Lyon, Va., Dec. 28, 1862 to a friend, in part: "... The Rebs are within 6 miles of us with 5,000 cavalry. Stewart's and Ashby's supported by 5,000 infantry with batteries. The chances are we shall have a fight tomorrow or the next day...We sleep on our arms tonight...The Rebs are down towards Mount Vernon having got in the rear of Burnside. There was a good sharp fight at Dumfries...the cannonading was pretty sharp for an hour...I reckon we got the worst of it...There are but very few troops about here, so it wouldn't take a strong force to give us trouble. Our pickets were driven in today, both infantry and cavalry...The telegraph lines were cut last night...The new forts are not fully completed. The guns have been taken from the south side of Fort Lyon...the forst are in no condition for a fight...artillerists are there to work the heavy guns...If I fall, Capt. Cevoley will see to sending me home...I have just loaded my pistol and got 10 rounds in my ammunition pouch...there is a guard on every street...the boys had a great time yesterday hunting rats...we killed 140 big ones. They dig them out and the dogs kill them...Nobody dead but a good many awful scared. Regiments moving all night and today they go to Alexandria and take the boats for some place... ". Two earlier A.L.S.'s, Sep. 11, Dec. 8 and Dec. 10, 1862, 8pp. total, also from Fort Lyon, read in part: "...the Fort is a large bastion...45 guns...it commands the country for 5 or 6 miles...after whipping them badly we retired in good order saving most of our guns and stores...the troops here nearly all left Arlington Heights. There were lots of 9 month men in the crowd...The Peninsula is the point where I reckon a fight is to happen. Banks goes there soon. Two regiments of cavalry passed... [and] a train of ambulances 3 miles long. They have cleared out the hospitals... ". With Potter's 1864 diary, commences Nov. 11, 1864 to February, 1865, with entries in pencil: "...sharp skirmishing from abt 10 AM...General Sheridan & staff visited us...rebs separated having run last night...6th[?] Corps moving off...my promotion to Lt. Col...the rebs fired...all day yesterday, could see shells bursting...sharp cannonading all day from Petersburg, ordered into line expecting an attack, firing kept up all night...Mayor of Richmond has come into our lines...Fort Fisher reported taken Butlers troops going down on river...two reb rams got off..." With his 1865 diary commencing Feb. 23: "...heavy firing all day near Petersburg...reviewed by Genl. Grant...ordered to march at daylight...General Sheridan crossed at Jones Bridge... [I am] to report at Deep Bottom...we fight tomorrow...the whole army moved out this AM...some skirmishing...lost in brigade 62 men...The Rebs attacked my brigade at 4 AM, captured 30 prisoners, lost 4 prisoners & had 7 men wounded...we attacked Fort Gregg...Lee's army is scattered everywhere...marched to Wilson's Station...engaged enemy till dark...123 captured yesterday. [Gen. George A.] Custer took 10,000 prisoners...Lt. Gen. Ewell captured...marched 27 mi. to near Appomattox C.H....fight began at daylight. After a short [?] Lee surrendered his whole army at C.H. and armistice began at 4 PM...[June 15] mustered out of service at Richmond... ". One of the final pages in the diary was written by Potter at Hatcher's Run on March 31, 1865 at 11:00 PM, the evening before a concerted attack on Confederate forces. Potter fears for his life, hoping that he will be brave and competent enough to lead his men. He notes that if he should fall, his debts should be paid with the balance of his estate given to various relatives. However, he later noted that a 4:00 AM Confederate charge was repelled and he survived his ordeal. Many of the diary entries are light, but most can be made out with a bit of effort. Finally, included are two State of Massachusetts commissions, 1862 and 1864, each signed by Gov. JOHN A. ANDREW , promoting Potter to Captain and Major, as well as a letter of transmission from an adjutant general. Nine pieces, generally in very good collection. A rare grouping from a Union officer who witnessed the end of the Confederacy. $1,500-2,000