187. CIVIL WAR CORRESPONDENCE OF PVT. JOHN F. LIBBY The war-date letters of Pvt. John F. Libby of Co. F, 23rd Maine Vols. , about 25 war-date letters (about five incomplete, two others badly mouse-eaten), most 4pp. 8vo. and with covers, covering the period from Sep. 30, 1862 to June 26, 1863 while the regiment served in and around Washington. Some good content covering nearly his entire service, in part: "...We are mustered in...two men were thrown out from the company...The men appeared to be rather riotous until they were mustered in...uniforms and equipments are coming in...Heavy firing was heard towards Harpers Ferry...Union forces had taken Leesburg...rumors of Rebels all around us...Rebels have driven in our forces five miles...get a substitute for something reasonable, do so for I want you to stay home...I cannot tell when we shall be paid off...Poolville is about 5 miles back from here. The N.H. boys cleared out two stores in that place...some negroes came running out from a house...they appeared very glad to see us and very talkative. At our request two of the men danced and sung...The more I see of the slave population, the more I am convinced that freedom to many shall be more a curse...I think they should be educated before emancipated...One of out cavalry lieuts. tried his skill at shooting Secesh the other day...saw a secesh cavalry boy come down to the ferry...Secesh dropped at the discharge, then got up, waved his hat, then betook himself to his heels...One of the Co. A boys deserted soon after coming into the state. He was taken a short time since and is here at Hd. Qrs. a prisoner...he was attempting to cross the Potomac from the Virginia shore...his raft came apart and left him on a rock...today they have been fighting each other with snow balls...the Capt. and Lieut. were out pelting the men and getting pelted in return...There are miles of rifle pits around here. There was considerable excitement here last night...report of a large force of rebel cavalry near us...guns shotted and manned...ordered up to Chain Bridge from Washington and some of the planks taken up...I saw a black scout [spy] employed by a battalion of the Michigan cavalry...many important arrests were made through his agency. He was furnished with a horse and used to ride around and pick up stray bits of information...one of the men dropped a shell which exploded and set the magazine on fire...The explosion was terrific...20 killed and 15 wounded...the smoke that rolled up was tremendous...some of the men were blown 40 or 50 rods. Some of the bodies were horribly mangled...one of the natives near our picket lines says that he has shot 20 pickets...a Union scout was taken from his bed by a guerilla band and hung...by careless handling he discharged [his gun], the charge passing through his file leader's head killing him instantly...One of the 10th Vt. Regt. threatened to shoot one of his officers today and was punished with such barbarity that he died from the effects of it...the poor fellow was tied up to the limbs of a tree by his wrists so that he could only just touch his toes and kept there so long he never recovered. Our regiment marched by while he hung there and our officers tried to get him down but in vain...". More interesting content, all very legible and generally very good. Sold with a 7" x 5" tintype, apparently a blow-up, showing Libby with his brother , possibly a twin.   $1,500 - 2,000