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CIVIL WAR CORRESPONDENCE OF CAPT. ADEN LIPPINCOTT
A correspondence consisting of nine war date letters in ink and in pencil, 35pp. total to his brother and sister written between Aug. 14, 1862 and Jan. 27, 1865. Lippincott enlisted in the 48th New York Artillery as a sergeant rising to the rank of captain in 1864. During his service he was wounded at least twice, once a Fort Wagner, S.C. (July 18, 1863) and again at Cold Harbor (June 1, 1864). The correspondence reads, in small part: "[Camp Perry, Damfuskie Island, Aug. 14, 1862] ...The prospect a month ago of an... advance on Savannah gains nothing by time. we are not there yet, and not likely to go very soon, if at all. Nearly one half the troops that were here have left... Night before last two men one in uniform the other in citizens dress came down from Savannah and gave themselves up to one of our gun boats they are both Northerners pressed into the rebel service and are to be forward to their homes... nothing is known by us of what information they gave, except that they report thirty thousand troops around the city. Mostly boys & old men miserably equip[p]ed and clothed... Several contrabands have arrived here from the interior with their limbs terribly torn & lassserated [sic] by the sharp teeth of their masters blood hounds, I understand the one or two of them have been apprehended... [McDougall Hospital Ft. Schulyer, N.Y. July 31, 1863]... my wound has been doing as well as could be desired. I think the small bone of my arm at the shoulder is somewhat splintered but it is only a scratch[.] ... I have been unable to learn the fate of many of the boys from Harrisonville and vicinity... Stacy Duffle, wounded on the... 14th in right knee- leg since been amputated... we were sent to so many different hospitals I was unable to learn much of them. There was... many missing either killed or badly wounded and taken prisoner... we are on the East river about twenty miles above the City... [Fort Schulyer Hospital, Oct. 1, 1863]... I have been promoted to a Lieutenant and will want some money to get my outfit... expect to take the responsibility to come home for a few days - on a 24 hour pass before I go South again...[Hospital Ft. Schuler, Oct. 8, 1863].. Another load of wounded from Port Royal arrive here day before yesterday. There was about two hundred of them altogether... few of our men are left in Beaufort & Hilton Head hospital... Two days before [the] hospital ship left Port Royal the 24th Mass Vol started for St. Augustine to relieve our Regt there. It is supposed the 48th are to go to Morris Isld. again...[Before Petersburg, Va., Sept. 6, 1864]... I joined the regt a week ago to day. this is my fourth days duty in the trenches - we have 48 hours in the front - and 48 in rear; to day there is but one officer beside my self with the regiment three others having been summoned to attend court martial as witnesses and one was so unfortunate as to get within the rebel lines last night while attempting to visit our pickets. There was some very heavy artillery firing along the whole line last night between 10 PM & 1 Am this morning, said to be in honor of Sherman's victory in Georgia - on our part I don't know what object the Joh[n]nies had in view, if it was to hurt somebody, their effort... was a miserable failure... [Sept. 27, 1864]... our Corps was relieved by 1st Division of 2d C and moved to the rear about two miles where we are now in camp, pitched our tents... made my first attempt at laying out camp as was so unfortunate as to be on as Regimental officer of the day. Don't know that I deserved it but received a very flattering compliment from the Commanding Officer -- whose judgment by the way is about as profound as that of a mice [sic]. What the object of the present move is seems to be beyond the comprehension of the wise... rumer [sic] has had us going most every whare [sic]. the one most previlent [sic] at present takes us to North Carolina... At daylight to morrow morning our batteries are to fire another salute... at the devoted City of Petersburg in honor of Sheridans continued victories in the Vall[e]y. Yes, I think there has been considerable progress made two[a]rds ending the war in the last three months... there never was more deserters from the rebel army than at the present time - they all tell the same tale of want suffering and misery they have lost all hope in their cause and are now fighting out of shere [sic] desperation. Because our army does not take Richmond is neither a sign of Union weakness nor rebel strength. 40,000 men in their intrenchments could with the greatest ease keep at bay five times that number... that City will be ours I as firmly believe as that Atlanta is in our possession it was not taken by direct assault nor will Richmond be... I don't think we have the slightest cause to despond at this time, our prospects were never brighter than now. I am as anxious for peace as any one, but so long as there is a traitor in arms I believe in 'fighting it out on this line.'... [U.S. Genl. Hospital, Jan. 27, 1865]... but a small part of our mail for the past six weeks has reaches us owing to our expeditionary forces to Wilmington - we only took our effective men along leaving the tents and baggage behind.... Since the 8th of last month have spent most of my time at sea... arrived here five days ago, have been very devoted to nursing my [illeg., but some sort of wound] it does not seem to improve much and is quite painful... the army of the James is particularly jubilant over the removal of General Butler notwithstanding his farewell address to them that he was relieved from the command of what he want[s] to call his army because he would not shed innocent blood by precipitating in a hopeless assault against Ft. Fischer. Such a gesture from that source is fully appreciated, though rather ill-timed..." Usual folds, some age toning and marginal wear, else very good.

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October 9, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
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