Item No. 6134947

An archive consisting of 26 war-date letters, 23 written by Private John K. Barager of Ossian, New York, to his wife Ann D. Barager at home. John Barager was a private in the 130th New York Volunteers, which later converted to cavalry as the 1st New York Dragoons. The letters cover the 130th’s time in Suffolk, Virginia, including the January 1863 Battle of Deserted House, a small Union victory for which Barager included a hand-drawn map. The regiment saw action again during Dix’s Peninsula Campaign of July 1863 before it traveled north to be reorganized into the 1st New York Dragoons. The unit returned to Virginia in the fall of 1863 and participated in Grant’s Overland Campaign of 1864. During this campaign, Barager was mortally wounded at the Battle of Old Church and died May 31, 1864.

The map of the Battle of Deserted House is quite detailed, with several positions marked and labeled. It occupies a two-page spread in a 7 3/4” x 12 1/2” bifold lettersheet (within the Feb. 4, 1863, letter).

Three letters by friends and associates written to John Barager are also included, as well as two loose letter pages in Barager’s handwriting.

The letters are in excellent condition, with some exhibiting light toning and foxing, else fine. Creased at the original folds. Included are 23 of the original postal covers, many with postage stamps still attached. A full electronic transcript will be provided to the buyer.

War-related highlight’s from the archive are included below. Much of the content is personal in nature. There is an undertone of conflict and marital dissatisfaction throughout the letters as John struggles to get information from home. Regrettably, none of Ann’s letters are in the archive, and so we have only John’s half of the argument.

Suffolk, Virginia, October 17, 1862
“We are at work yet building Forts and digging entrenchments, and many of our men are not able for duty. There is some sixty in the Hospital and twice that sick in tents, mostly with diarrhea. The water is very poor here and the weather warm, but is getting cooler now. I have been well most of the time. I had one attack with the diarrhea which lasted 24 hours, but have recovered all right. But I think there is not one in the regiment that is all well as when we left home. It takes two all the forernoon to attend the sick in tents. I have Co. I sick to report to the Drs. every morning. I try and take care of myself, and if others would do the so, there would be less sick.”

Suffolk, Virginia, December 21, 1862
“We have moved 1 1/2 miles and have our huts all built again quite comfortable. Our Brigade is changed. We are in with 3 regts of drafted men from Pa, and I think we will stay here this winter to hold this place. But we cannot tell what changes will take place since Burnside was defeated. We had hopes of the war closing soon, but it does not look so favorable now. But I still have hopes of returning in the spring. I think the war must close by that time: for I think both sides are getting very tired of it and it must stop. I know I am very anxious to get home. When I have to lay out on the ground or on a pile of boughs these cold nights, as I often do, and think of home and a good bed and a wife to lay with, they do not compare well. The nights are nearly as cold as they are in the north, but fine days. While I am writing the robins are chirping in the trees.”

Suffolk, Virginia, January 20, 1863
“The Col. came to me and said he wanted me to go on the colors, so that relieves me of all other duties. He said I was just the man he wanted. He said that wanted the best men in the reg. Mr. Hills is one of them. There has not anything new happened since I wrote you except one death in our Co. That is Ziba Barney of Burns, died yesterday and will be buried today. That makes over 40 has died in the regt… I have now returned from burying Barney, he being the fourth brother that has died in the army, all with the measles. Mr. Wintworth of Burns arrived here tonight after J. C. Cook that is sick in Hospital, but he is too far gone. He [will] never see home alive. If one gets to the Hospital it is sure death. We have lost three, all young, healthy men.”

Suffolk, Virginia, February 4, 1863 (Describing the Battle of Deserted House)
“I wrote you on the 1st to tell you of our late fight. I have not understood what the Rebel loss was yet, but it is reported that is over 200. But we cannot tell. I think their loss was much greater than ours, but I tell you I thought one time that we would have to retreat as them shells came so thick that it was a miracle that we escaped as well as we did. The shell, grape, & canister came incessantly and some so close that we could feel the wind of them. And there we lay, flat as we could of course, for two hours. And then the firing ceased and I tell you I was pleased. And then we formed in line of Battle, our regt and 13 In, and made a charge on their Battery, but they had left that position and retreated about a mile, and had taken another there. And then we could not get to them with our cavalry or artillery without going right in their cannon’s mouth. Then our regiment was ordered to skirmish up through the woods about 80 rods. Mr. Hill and I was ordered to go near the road. We crept along expecting to see a reb every moment. There was two Co’s of us on that side of the road and the shells coming down through, cutting down trees a foot through. And the pieces of shell and balls was flying in every direction. We advanced up to the fence. There the rebels rose up and we fired on them and they on us, and there was too many of them, and we had to fall back to other part of the regiment. And when we went the 2d time they had left for parts unknown. We followed them [and] made another charge, and I tell you we made them skedaddle the best they could. And then we came back camp. Our loss in killed and wounded will not exceed 100, but you will see it in the papers probably more correct than I can tell. You will see map of the Battlefield and the other side of this…. Dear wife, I tell you I thought of you when I in that awful fight. Just think how near you came being a window. But God can save and I believe he would spare me all the time, and I fell very thankful.”

Suffolk, Virginia, March 14, 1863
“They say the 9th army corps are on the way here, and then on to Richmond, and we expect to go with them. If so, there will be no furloughs for us…. I feel very sorry to hear you are so unhappy. I did think some time ago that the war would soon close, but I have given that up now. But I think we will conquer, but it may be a long time. But I think God is on our side. We must win.”

Suffolk, Virginia, April 9, 1863
“…we have orders to pack knapsacks and get ready to leave at a moment’s notice, and where we know not. Now I will enclose a draft of $30 and you can get the money on it at the Bank. I have not time to write much, as it is now 2 o’clock at night and we all in a hurry.”

Suffolk, Virginia, April 13, 1862
“I wrote you on the 9 stating we had orders to pack up ready to march. Well the next day we started and went to the cars and loaded on, and was there 2 hours, and then got orders to return to camp but keep ready at a moment’s notice. Then we received notice that there was a large force or rebels advancing here, and they have come. They are in large force on three sides of us and the fighting has commenced, but we think we can hold the place. But I think it will be a hard fight. Our regiment has been out in rifle pits two nights already. We are in camp now, but except to be called out every moment…. The rebs are in sight preparing for a hard fight, which they will have if they take this place. If I do live through I will write, but you will see it in the papers…. There is great excitement here. The cannons are booming in every direction. What the result will be God only knows, but we must put our trust in him and hope for the best and do our duty, and all will be well…. Tuesday [April] 14, 7am, There was firing all night, but mostly on our side. The rebs has not made a general attack yet, but we expect they will this morning. This may be the last line you will ever get from me, but if so do the best you can for yourself and children, but I trust we shall come out all right and live to enjoy each other’s company.”

Suffolk, Virginia, June 10, 1863
“I sometimes feel as though I did not care how the war was stopped if it only would close, so men could return to their suffering families. It is so cruel for us to be suffering everything here and at the same time our families at home suffering for our help there.”

Baltimore Crossroads, Virginia, July 4, 1863
“…have been on the Peninsula for near two weeks and have had very hard fare, and many of our regt have fallen sick and lousy. But I have escaped both so far. We have been here three days and have been in two skirmishes, and expecting an attack every hour. Night before last we were in line of Battle all night. The rebels came up and opened fire on us, but we soon silenced their Battery and drove them back. But we kept out guns in hand all night, but there was nothing serious happened. The rumor is now that we are going soon to Washington and organize in a cavalry [regiment]. If so, I shall try very hard to get a furlough to go home and get me a horse. I wish your pa would hunt up a good cavalry horse. I think I had rather furnish my own horse and get 40 cts a day for the use of him and found, and if he dies or gets killed we get pay for him. And at that rate a horse would soon pay himself.”

Baltimore, Maryland, July 19, 1863
“I am in Hospital very sick with the diarrhea. I was taken the day we left Yorktown. That afternoon I wrote you on the Boat and it has been running me down ever since until I am reduced to a skeleton, and they don’t stop it. How I suffered before I got here on the cars. No accommodations. Nothing but cattle cars to will mill in. But since I came here I have a good bed to lay on and good care, and am kept clean. If I had money I would send you and have you come here and see, for it may be your last chance, but I have not been paid. But if you could manage any way to come I would be very glad.”

Washington, DC, August 1, 1863
“Our regiment is at Warrenton do provost duty about seventy miles from [here], and they are a going to be transferred into cavalry, so I was informed yesterday in Washington. If so, I have hopes of getting a chance to go home. There will some to go home to get Horses and recruit, and I shall try and be one of them.”

Manassas Junction, Virginia, October 10, 1863
“We have our horses and are drilling. I think it is much better than on foot. I am glad I did not buy a horse. The way we use horses they will not last long…. It comes very hard for me, after faring so well at home, and then coming to lay on the ground in shelter tents. It is the worst place here we have been in yet. We are within three miles of Bull run Battlefield. The boys have been there. They say there is plenty of human bones laying on top of the ground. There is plenty of Guerrillas around us. They have taken some of our regt prisoners and have them yet.”

Culpeper, Virginia, November 19, 1863
“We are encamped two miles south of Culpeper and have been for a week. For the first time we have stayed two nights in one place since we have been in the army of the Potomac. Our regt goes out on picket every fifth day. We will go tomorrow. We go within six miles of the rebels where they are strongly fortified. We went and exchanged shots with them last Sunday, but none of us was harmed. We thought it not best to charge on them with cavalry alone when they are in rifle pits. We are ordered to keep ready to march at a moment’s notice…. We are laying here on the ground as dirty as pigs, and even inhabited with very disagreeable vermins, which [are] unavoidable and very disagreeable.”

N.P., January 28, 1864
“We think here the rebels are about played out. They are deserting by scores. There comes one hundred a week to our headquarters, and they say they are sick of the war and will not fight.”

April 12, 1863, from Charlotte Knight to John K. Barager
“…Edwin Demander died in the hospital this winter. He died of a bullet wound in the breast. Jim Daily was shot at the battle in front of Richmond. Both the Simpson boys, George & Nathan, went to the war and died.”

August 6, 1863, from Paul S. Preston to John K. Barager
“The defeat of Lee at Gettysburg, the taking of Vicksburg & Port Hudson, and the suppression of the New York riots was a heavy blow to our Copperheads. They have been acting quite decent (for them) since they became convinced that the news was true, have ceased barking and became dumb dogs among decent and loyal people, and wearing countenances as long as your shadow. The poor Devils do feel awful bad, and doubtless will feel disposed to go into mourning every future month of July of their lives. It has been a dreadful month for Copperheads and their master Jeff Davis.”