Description:

DIARY OF THE COLOR BEARER OF THE 97TH N.Y. INFANTRY
1864 pocket diary of Color Bearer Herbert C. Smith of the 97th New York Vols., Co. C. The diary has space for three entries per page, which Smith filled out a bit sporadically in both ink and pencil. Smith, who served from September, 1863 to July, 1865, begins his accounts in April just before Grant began his Overland Campaign and continues until the Mine explosion on July 30, 1864. After that, Smith was sent to White Hall Hospital in Pennsylvania where he remained until the end of the year. In part: "…[Mar. 3] went on picket to Mitchell's station on the cars…[May 3] had orders to march at 12 p.m. with 6 days rations…[May 5, Battle of the Wilderness] about 3 p.m. went into the woods and fought till dark. Lay on our arms all night. Riley was shot…[May 6] started a little before daylight and charged on the Rebs and drove them some 2 miles and came to a masked battery they drove us back…[May 8, Spotsylvania] started after sun rise & were put into action. In a few moments two color bearers wounded. John King & J. Conlin…[May 17] all quiet until sundown started front into the woods & built Breastworks all night…[May 18] the regiment came on picket. I staid in the woods with the colors. They shelled us some…[May 21] marched at 10 a.m. crossed branch of Anna River, north…[May 23] built breastworks, was very heavy cannonading…[May 30] built works in a hurry, was very heavy cannonading, two hit the works close by us, one came through…[June 1, Cold Harbor] advanced one or two miles, built works & at dark moved off to the left & built more works…[June 13] advanced close to a reb fort where they shelled us hard. One man killed & 2 or 3 wounded, marched at dark till 2 or 3 in the morning took the wrong road…[June 24] Genl Butler returned to duty from the hospital…[July 30, Battle of the Crater] this morning at daylight the shelling of Petersburg commenced which was the hardest I ever heard…" Also included is a postwar G.A.R. "Post Historian" questionnaire completed by Smith listing all of the significant events of his military career. Some entries smudged and light, else very good.

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May 24, 2016 10:30 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

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