GA 9th CSA Ambrotype R. Cassady & Civil War Archive

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Winter Fine Art & Antique Auction

By Case Auctions

Jan 24, 2015 - Jan 25, 2015

Set Reminder 2015-01-24 09:00:00 2015-01-25 09:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Winter Fine Art & Antique Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/case-antiques/winter-fine-art-antique-auction-400
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• Lot Description
  Confederate Archive of 4th Sergeant Russell M. Cassady, Georgia Company G, 9th Regiment (Walker Co., GA - Lafayette Volunteers, mortally wounded 1865). Includes an early war Confederate sixth plate ambrotype of Cassady in uniform with two pistols and a knife - referenced in a May 1861 letter in this lot archive (Note: an identical "Lafayette volunteer" coat and tie can be viewed on page 58 of Georgia's Confederate Sons, Volume 1, Dr. David N. Wiggens - research courtesy Malcolm Rogers), 11 total letters (4 from 1860, 7 Civil War period) letters from Russell Cassady to his cousin, Nancy E. Sawyers (Nancy E. Sawyers McBee married name) of Knox Co., TN, 10 covers (most war period), 1 letter from Nancy E. Sawyers, and a fourth plate ambrotype and daguerreotype of a female, possibly Nancy E. Sawyers. 4th Sergeant Russell M. Cassady (Cassaday) enlisted June 12, 1861 in Company G of the Georgia 9th Regiment Volunteer Infantry. This regiment fought at Gettysburg, Siege of Knoxville, Wilderness Campaign, and surrended with General Lee's army at Appomattox Court house, VA. Other engagements included Chickamauga, Manassas II, and Cold Harbor. The 9th Georgia spent most of the War with General Longstreet in the army of Northern Georgia. Cassady was mortally wounded and died in a Lynchburg, VA Confederate hospital in 1865. His War letters to his cousin, Nancy Sawyers, give battlefield accounts. Nancy Sawyers later married Confederate First Lieutenant Ganum Cox McBee of the Tennessee Infantry on October, 10, 1865. Excerpts from some of the letters Cassady writes to Nancy Sawyers - May 20, 1861, Lafayette, Walker Co. GA, "I send you my minature with my uniform and weapons of war. We are hoping for a call every day...Cousin till Death R. M. Cassaday, P.S. You will se my Graele (sp?) of office and you will also see that I am well sunburned. I haven't shaved for three weeks and don't intend to until the wars are won." July 20, 1862 letter camp near Richmond - "we have run all the yankeys away from Richmond killing thousands and traping the same prisoners. We lost a great many good an Brave men too but we must not think of whiping all the time an not loosing no men though as long as we do as well as we have done we will be verry well satisfied and will whip the fight an gaine our independance and then we will live like white folks once more...of all the distruction of man and horse and property you ever saw or herde tell of it is here in (Va). I have bin on the Battlefield from on to 25 miles. I did not think that I could walk over dead bodys an among the wounded and not do something for them but I find my heart harde an ready fore almost everything. Dead men are as common here as hogs at killing time in your cuntry and the most of men killed on our side are young men but thank God they was killed in a good cause...for 3 hours or more the balls falling thick around me. Deare Cousin, I would like to see you all once more but I may not have the opportunity of doing so though I hurd a friend days since that our Brigate was going to Knoxville or Chattanooga." August, 11th, 1862 Camp near Richmond, VA - "We are under marching orders and will leave here in the morning or too night Stone Wall Jacson sent 27 commischened officer 1 General 300 privates that is our trip I think to renforse Jackson." March 8th, 1863 White Sulpher Springs, VA with envelope and CSA stamps - Cassady speaks of recovering from his wounds and writes, "I see that they are fighting at Fort McAllister near Savannah GA. If they are going to make Georgia the Battleground I want to go there to help my own state to whip the infurnal yanks out of it...Andrew is getting along with his Lincoln Government...the Southern Boys when they get wounded they dont desert for the first wound and do not think they will for the deceased at Leesburg hope not but will return to there Regt and fill there place in the Ranks an fight on". January 4th, 1863 - Burtons Hospital, Lynchburg, VA - "I am here wounded and cant get away I thought I would have started home this weeke but the smallpox broke out in the hospital." January 15, 1863 - Burtons Hospital, Lynchburg VA - "there is a great deal of Robing and murdering going on....Hospital servants was almost killed last night by one of them he was struck with a hatchet. The Patience are dying verry fast here with different diseases...I didant tell you about the fight at Tennessee our Co. went in with 40 men and out with 6 (?). That is the way we fight and that is the way the cut us up but we whiped them..Note - Georgia pension records for Amanda Cassady state Russell Cassady was born in Knox County, TN in 1844 and a witness to the application states he saw Cassady wounded at Petersburg in September of 1864 and he was transported to a hospital. Amanda also writes that Russell Cassady died in Walker Co., GA in 1874, conflicting will all military records stating he died from wounds in Lynchburg, 1865.

  Condition

  Letters legible and overall very good condition, some covers have the postage removed. Ambrotype of Russell Cassady in excellent condition, ambrotype and daguerreotype of female overall very good condition.
• Shipping Info

  • Buyer Pays Shipping Cost – Buyers will be responsible for making shipping arrangements through our recommended shippers or a shipper of your choice. For shipping estimates, contact these shippers with the lot number(s) or a shipper of your choice. Our recommended shippers follow:

    • Package Manager of Knoxville (865-584-3000, ask for Gwynn, info@packagemanager.net)
    • The UPS Store of Northshore Knoxville (865-951-2499, ask for Jonathan, store6461@theupsstore.com)
    • The UPS Store ofDowntown Knoxville (865-584-0081, ask for Nathan, store2630@theupsstore.com)

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