Lot 154

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THE DIARIES AND LETTERS OF DAVIS TILLSON
(1830-1895) Civil War politician, soldier and adjutant general from Rockland, Maine; Chief of Artillery under Edward O. C. Ord, later raised a regiment of "colored" artillery to defend the city of Knoxville. An interesting grouping of material, including two diaries with routine content, two A.L., a 29pp. A.Ms. with excellent content on slavery and politics, war-date documents to Tilloson and more. The first diary is from 1857-1860, during Tillson's tenure in the Maine legislature and one year before being named adjutant general. The small leather-bound book with blue pages is filled with Tillson's penciled notes about salaries, receipts, and other financial matters. Typical entries read: "...Oct. 11 Paid Silson to Bond...10.00 Richards 5 days 18. 75...Received for Rock 1406 casks 63.37...Dec. 23 Paid Stevens...Apr. 8 Planted...Bed Tomato, Squash, Cabbage...June 9 Paid for...carts and plow for drain...Dec. 17...completing...blacking on Common Roads..." and so forth. The second diary is from 1860, also leather-bound and signed by Tillson on the interior closure flap, also filled with penciled notes at the end of his tenure in the Maine legislature and just before his joining the 2nd Battery 1st Maine Mounted Light Artillery. In small part: "...Dr. to cash on hand $23.00...paid Capt. [Michael] Boyce bill for transportation 15.00...[Jan. 9] Paid Wm. E. Kimball Arsenal Keeper $364.86...Steamer Danl. Webster 36.75...[Jan. 27] Eyelet punch 1.00 Buckskin .87 Eyelets .05...[Feb. 11] Shoeing horse...Hostler...Beef...[Feb. 22] Powder for salute 1.00 [Feb. 23] Cleaning guns...", and more. The month of May is mainly concerned with surveying, while the events of the summer months are rather sparsely noted. In the pages marked "Memoranda" that follow the diary entries are notes about Tillson's letters and receipt of letters, as well as more accounting. Along with a fascinating A.Ms. [unsigned], 29pp. 8vo., [n.d. but probably war-date], in very small part: "...Fellow Citizens, In the remarks which I propose making upon this occasion, I can hardly expect to be able to speak to you upon subjects...which you are not already familiar. Great crises in the affairs of men or nations have always produced the men eminently fitted for the occasion...Men whose hearts have burned for freedom as if touched from fire off the alter. Men whose glorious words in behalf of justice and humanity form a part of the proud history of our...Country and who have discussed the great questions which now agitate the nation so completely...although these questions may become old and commonplace, they can never become uninteresting. Out of them will spring the issues of life and death...Never while the human race shall continue to love freedom and justice and to hate oppression and tyranny...shall the great question...become obsolete...whither the Federal Government shall continue to be the exponent and instrument of slavery, or whither it shall recognize its duties and its obligations to the 21 [?] million of American freemen who inhabit the free states...to whom...our country owes its great advancement in material prosperity and civilization...men who have poured out their blood like water, who have given up their lives rather than dishonor should come upon our flag...". Tillson goes along to give a strong critique of the government, touching upon the role of the Democrats adding: "...by the very words of Mr. [Frederick] Douglass...in his famous article Harper's Magazine that slavery was the creation of local law..." and concludes: "...Never before in the [history] of our country or the world has the issues presented before the people been of greater importance...Never before has depended upon this solution and determination so much of weal or woe to the mighty interests of our people...". Regrettably in poor state, with some paper loss and significant fading that impacts its legibility. Accompanied by a fine content war-date A.L. [unsigned] 2pp. legal folio, "Genl Qrs 4th Div. N.C. Granville, Tenn May 1865", as commander of the 4th Division of the Department of the Cumberland to Maj. Genl. George Stoneman, Union major general who led a corps at Fredericksburg, and later commanded cavalry raids at Chancellorsville, Macon, and in the Carolinas. In part: "...the 2nd and 3rd N. Carolina Regts...moved towards Bulls Gap reaching the point the same day, thence the Brigade moved to Bourbon Hills...arriving on the 20th...on the 29th the troop moved to...Round Creek...to hold the mountain passes...and the 4th Tenn. Inf. and...1st U.S.C.A. Ky. [?] to Taylorsville and vicinity and a thorough reconnaissance of the mountain made by Genl Comdg in person...strong entrenchments...erected at each of the above...the enemy at this point made a slight demonstration capturing a squad of the Cavalry attached. In compliance with instruction previously, received the command...towards Grenville, reached that place about the 20th of April...On the 6th of May instructions were sent to Col. Hawley to move the 1st U.S.C.A. Ky to Grenville at once and to send instructions to the 2nd and 3rd North Carolina to move to Asheville at once...On the 3rd of May Gen. Martin Comdg...for some reason Colonel Bartlett allowed...the men surrendered to retain their arms...he was at once [ordered?] to revoke that portion of the agreement...and to collect all the arms retained....during all the operations of the troops of the 4 Div. in the field there were no casualties except the capture of a party of the Cavalry attached. There were forty five hundred men in the command when it moved...has been considerably augmented by recruits...". Along with a second A.L.S., badly deteriorating to the point it cannot be read, and nine war-date A.L.S.s and D.S.s to Tillson, unresearched but including a retained copy of an A.L.S. by Genl. George Lucas Hartsuff, and a carte-de-visite portrait of Tillson by Ayer, Augusta Me. An interesting grouping, worthy of further research. Regrettably, much of the paper is badly compromised due to improper storage, with much restoration required. Should be viewed.

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June 3, 2010 11:00 AM EDT
Stamford, CT, US

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