Description

Requesting Another Battery of Artillery During the Siege of Yorktown In the middle of the Civil War Siege of Yorktown, General Charles S. Hamilton fruitlessly asks for more artillery. CHARLES SMITH HAMILTON (1822-1891). Autograph Letter Signed ( “C. S. Hamilton” ), as General U.S. Army, with additional autograph endorsements on verso by S. P. Heintzelman, James A. Hardie and William F. Barry. Div. Hd. Qrs., April 12, 1862. To Gen. S. Williams. 2 pp, 7¾ x 10 in., ruled paper, closed tear. Inventory #20363.05 Transcript “Div. Hd. Qrs. Apr 12 1862 General I understand the Fourth Battery for my Division has been designated and is on the Peninsula. I beg it may be ordered to report to me forthwith. I am General Very Respy Your Obt. Srt. C. S. Hamilton Brig Gen Comdg Div. Brig Gen S. Williams AAG Army of the Potomac [docketing on verso, as request is passed up the chain of command, not transcribed] [Barry’s reply, written on verso:] Respectfully returned. The Battery intended for Hamilton’s Div[isio]n. was to have been withdrawn from Richardson’s, which latter was to have been supplied with a Battery from the Art[iller]y: Depot in Washington. Circumstances compelled the ordering of the Battery intended for Richardson elsewhere. As soon as another Battery can be prepared, the original design will be carried out. William F. Barry Brig. Genl. Ch[ief]-of-A[rtiller]y” At the beginning of the Civil War, Charles Smith Hamilton was appointed Colonel of the 3 rd Wisconsin regiment and promoted to Brigadier-General of volunteers. He served in Virginia during the Siege of Yorktown (April 5- May 4, 1862) but was relieved of command for insubordination on April 30. In September of that year was promoted to Major-General of volunteers. After the siege of Yorktown, he was transferred to the Army of the Mississippi, commanded a division at Corinth, and won the battle of Iuka. Afterward he commanded the left wing of the Army of the Tennessee and the 16 th corps. He resigned his military commission in April of 1863. Hamilton went on to serve as President of the Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin from 1866 until 1875. Historical Background In the Peninsula Campaign of April-July 1862, Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan attempted to attack Richmond with his (Union) Army of the Potomac from the southwest (up the peninsula between the James and York rivers in Virginia, rather than marching south from Maryland). Despite swamps and swollen rivers, which made it difficult to move artillery, the Union soldiers were able to advance within a few miles of Richmond. They fought the Confederates to a draw in the Battle of Fair Oaks (also called Seven Pines, May 30-June 1). However, after Fair Oaks, President Jefferson Davis assigned Gen. Robert E. Lee to command the Army of Northern Virginia, which defended Richmond. In a series of engagements called the Seven Days’ battles (June 26-July 2), Lee counter-attacked strongly, and convinces McClellan to abandon the campaign. SETH KALLER, INC. Historic Documents and Legacy Collections For over 20 years, Seth Kaller has been one of the country’s largest buyers of important historic documents and artifacts. More than 10,000 rare manuscripts, documents, maps, and books handled by Kaller are now in institutional and private collections including working drafts of the United States Constitution, Lincoln-signed copies of the 13th Amendment and Emancipation Proclamation, and rare prints and broadsides of the Declaration of Independence. Kaller is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers’ Association of America (ABAA), the Professional Autograph Dealers Association (PADA), the American Antiquarian Society, the Manuscript Society, the New-York Historical Society’s Chairman’s Council, and the Papers of Abraham Lincoln Advisory Board. 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