Lot 142
THE CIVIL WAR DIARY OF SGT. JACOB H. BEERS
Civil War diary of Sgt. Jacob H. Beers of Co. D, 83rd N.Y. Infantry, covering the calendar year 1862, about 200pp. neatly written in pencil and ink, one daily entry per page. The inside front cover bears a presentation to Beers from his wife Eliza on Dec. 14, 1861, and Beers received the diary at Camp Classon on Jan. 2, 1862. In small part: "...Officers called on [Hannibal] Hamlin Vice President...had a supper with plenty of liquor in our cabin...took three men to the guard house for leaving camp...crossed the river to Harpers Ferry on the pontoon bridge...stopped in a big house, tore to pieces by the Rebs for the lead...went to Bolivar, quartered in the empty houses...1st Michigan cavalry with us...clothes frozen stiff this morning...started for Winchester...marched in and found that the rebels had left last night...some of the rebel cavalry made a dash at our pickets. They left before we got there...heavy firing towards Strausburg...marched from Bull Run to Manassas Junction...found everything destroyed here...5 companies went out last night down to the river with a battery & cavalry. Shelled out the rebels...horses heard to come from the woods. Supposed to be rebels...President reviewed McDowell's troops. He was received with cheers. Orders to march in the morning...marched to Bell Plains...marched to Aquia Creek...went into camp near the depot. Nearly all the men drunk. Nearly one year ago today the regiment left New York...near Beauregard's old headquarters...General Shields passed with his troops...[I am] appointed color bearer...General McDowell's horse fell, injured the general badly...very hot and dry. Several men fell sun struck...Gen. Banks came to see us. He was very well received. 4 deserters brought back...heavy firing heard towards Gordonsville...marched into the battlefield just after sundown. The firing had stopped but commenced again about 9 o'clockwhen we marched to the front . Shells flyingthick and fast...Firing continued until midnight when the rebel battery was silenced...ordered to go to the support of Hall's Battery...dead and wounded being cared for...Gen. Carroll was shot on the picket line...have crossed the river in support of Thompson's Battery. Shells flying lively. Digging trenches by companies...heavy firing along the line till noon...one bridge gone, and the RR bridge in danger, just got across when firing began and continued sharp and heavy...4 miles from Warrenton...firing nearly all day along the river...11 killed and 15 wounded from our Regiment...President Lincoln visited the battle-field. In line near Bailey's Cross-roads all night...Skirmishing in front. General Kearney killed...I had to fall out, no shoes...heard of the removal of Pope & McDowell...marched through Frederick & Middletown, went up the mountain to support the Pa. Reserve troops...commenced fighting at 6 AM...Genl. Hartsuff wounded early in the morning. Regimental loss 115 men killed & wounded...Fred & Nelse both shot, Fred in the stomach & Nelse in the leg...went with the Brigade for review by the President...Doubleday Brigade went to Hagerstown...heavy firing heard near Snickers Gap...towards Bell Plains...[Battle of Fredericksburg] marched to the river. The heaviest cannonading I ever heard commenced at daybreak and lasted till half past eleven...laid in the woods all day...crossed the Rappahannock...formed line of battle and rested on our arms all night. Rebel skirmishers a short distance in front of us...Taylor's Brigade in the advance. Commenced fighting at 9 AM. Continued all day. Rested at dark on the same ground we had this morning...ordered back to the field. 124 men killed and wounded...firing began at daylight by skirmishers and continued at intervals all day...Fell back across the river last night...". A few entries are a bit light, but 95% of the diary is entirely legible. Also included in this lot is a wonderful presentation escutcheon made for Beers in 1893. Carefully written in calligraphy thereon are Beers' dates of promotion, units in which he served, and the dozens of battles in which he fought, including Cedar Mountain, Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Mine Run, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, North Anna, and Cold Harbor. His record is surrounded by images of various corps badges, a decorative eagle and flags at top, and his name and rank at bottom. With a recap of the diary entries, Beers' war records, copy images of him later in life, and Beers' promotion to Sergeant, 1p. folio, issued in the field at Fletcher's Chapel, Mar. 23, 1863 and signed by the regiment's lieutenant colonel. A superlative archive!
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