[ Autographs ] OHIO SHARPSHOOTER'S ARCHIVE A fine collection of over 50 predominantly war-dated letters and documents relating to the military career of brevet brigadier general Gershom M. Barber who served as Captain of the 5th Independent Ohio Sharpshooters who was later appointed by the Governor to oversee all sharpshooters from Ohioand ended the war commanding the 197th Ohio Infantry. The material predominantly concerns his activities as Commander of the Ohio sharpshooters and includes the following: 1.) A period full standing carte-de-visite of Barber in uniform as a captain in the Ohio Sharpshooters; 2.) His notification of being placed in overall commandof the Ohio Sharpshooters, as well as his State of Ohio appointment tolt. colonel, his mustering in document for the same, and his discharge 3.) Notification by the War Department of his appointments to colonelandbrigadier general by brevet in the United States Army, as well as his official Commission for Brevet Brigadier General by Andrew Johnson, with stamped signature; 4.) a 30 page hand-written postwar speech given by Barber in 1872 to honor the Union dead; 5.) Nine war-date letters written to Barber by other subordinate officers in the Sharpshooters keeping Barber apprised of the activities of his men. Aswould be expected, these letters have some interesting content,in part "...Headquarters S.S., Murfreeesboro, Ten., Jun 6, 1863...rations were ordered & all convalescents were ordered to camp hospital...on Thursday there was heard cannonading in every direction. There was quite a heavy skirmish on the Manchester Pike, about 8 miles from here..& on Stone River, about 3 miles from where we practice target shooting...I witnessed...the hanging of a murderer...a citizen...wouldnot tell where his money was. They first cut his ears off & then cut his tongue out...Tunnel Hill, May 11, 1864...We have had a heavy time of it. The rebels hold their ground. We have many wounded and killed, Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge were nothing compared with this country...I think we will withdraw our forces...& send the 4th corps around to the Rear of Dalton...Camp of S.S., Chattanooga, Tenn., June 25, 1864...Marched...on Chattanooga yesterday...expect to have some fun with the rebs. They are in small squads in the rear of our army...to dispute the passage of our supply trains. The pickets were drove inat this place yesterday by a squad of Wheeler's men. Three regiments went out yesterday to ascertain the whereabouts of Wheeler...". 5) TwoA.L.S.'s by Barber to his wife from the field, dated Apr. 19 and May 21, 1865, with interesting content, including: "...Today we have attended the funeral services for the late President...It is a sad dayfor the nation. I know that Johnson cannot fill Lincoln's place. I thank God that Seward lives. He alone can save us from a foreign war..Johnson's heart is right but his head is none too sound. The policy ofthe war against the rebels will now be much more severe, and I hope that not a man who has in any way been connected with the Confederate civil government will escape..."; 6.) Numerous other supporting documents, including a signed listing of officers who served under Barber in the 197th Ohio, a note explaining that a flag was presented to the sharpshooters and later to Barber, a number of war-dated forms filled out by Barber, an invitation of the family to attend military memorial services for him, as well as several postwar documents appointing Barber to various positions. An unusually comprehensive grouping of material related to sharpshooters during the Civil War, overall in very good condition.