7th Cavalryman Philip J. Dieter, Exceptional Archive Featuring Elizabeth Custer ALS, Signed Engraving, Book, and Inscribed S.J. Morrow Stereoviews

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American Historical Ephemera and Photography

By Cowan's Auctions

Nov 19, 2020

Set Reminder 2020-11-19 10:00:00 2020-11-19 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : American Historical Ephemera and Photography https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/cowans/american-historical-ephemera-and-photography-5894
Cowan’s Auctions, a Hindman Company, is pleased to present the November 19 Fall Auction, featuring over 400 lots of historically significant photography, manuscript material, artwork, and other ephemera dating from the 18th through the early 20th century, including the Civil War. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com

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• Lot Description
  Archive associated with Custer and frontier Montana from the collection of Philip J. Dieter (1843-1927), a veteran of the Civil War and the late Indian wars. Born in Baltimore, he was an ardent supporter of the Union. Discharge documents confirm two terms of service and anecdotal evidence that he was sent home as being too young after trying to enlist at age 16. He first officially enlisted at age 21 in Baltimore in May 1865 for a term of one year. After the war ended, he reenlisted in 1866, age 23, for a term of 3 years, and became a member of the 7th Cavalry, which was later commanded by George Armstrong Custer.
  
  Sometime later, prior to 1920, Dieter evidently wrote to Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon Custer (1842-1933), inquiring about Custer's 1874 memoir My Life on the Plains. In a 3-page autograph letter signed ("Elizabeth B. Custer") to Philip J. Dieter from New York, on Nov. 23, n.d., ca 1920, Libbie responds to Mr. Dieter's request: "I am sorry to tell you that my husband's delightful book on the Plains has been out of print for many years and I have never been able to secure the plates in order to have more books printed." Instead, she notes that she has enclosed to him, "an engraving of the General that I like very much. I now have the steel plate from which I can have pictures printed, it is, you see, taken in the uniform of Lieut. Colonel as you used to see him."The archive includes the print mentioned by Custer, and additional items, comprising: Engraving after photograph by W.R. Howell. Engraved by J.C. Buttre with printed/facsimile signature by George Armstrong Custer, signed below by Elizabeth B. Custer. -- Photograph of Dieters outside, wearing military medals. 3.5 x 5.5 in. -- 2 partly-printed discharge documents for Philp Dieter from his 1865 and 1869 discharges. -- CUSTER, Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon. "Boots and Saddles" Or Life in Dakota with General Custer. New York: Harper & Brothers, 1885. 8vo. Frontispiece portrait, map. (Some toning, front free endpaper torn). Original illustrated brown cloth gilt (light rubbing to extremities). Provenance: Philip Dieter, Sr. (signed to front flyleaf). FIRST EDITION.  Notably, the archive includes a collection of 31 rare stereoviews by S.J. Morrow of Yankton, Dakota Territory, which Elizabeth Custer reportedly also sent to Dieter. From various Morrow series, most from "Photographic Views of the Great North-west and Yellowstone Scenery & Indian Views," each with Morrow's imprint to recto. Several include pencil inscriptions to the versos with further details of the images. The author of the inscriptions is unknown but seems to be a resident in the area around Miles City and has written the inscriptions for the benefit of a friend or family member back east. Highlights include:4 stereoviews documenting a reburial at Little Big Horn including an exceedingly scarce image of 2 covered wagons, tents, and several men making camp, with clipped caption affixed to the verso: "no. 43 Capt. Sanderson's camp at the ford, while gathering the bones and building the moment."; an image of a stone cairn with a flag, clipped caption reading: "No. 42 the monument on Custer's hill, containing all the bones found on the field" with the pencil inscription continuing, "Since replaced by suitable granite shaft.''; an image of a pile of bones, most appear to be animal remains, clipped caption reading: "no. 34. Gen'l Custer's last stand, looking in direction of for and Indian village" with extensive ink inscription summarizing Custer's Last Stand; and an image of two men paying respects to a monument at Little Bighorn, clipped caption reading: "no. 38 Decorating the graves on Custer's Battle field," with a newspaper clipping affixed to verso, "The Custer Monument in Montana has been so greatly defaced by Indians shooting at it that it has been found necessary to recut the names on it," and pencil inscription stating, "Sin speaks for itself." 18 rare stereoview taken in and around Miles City, Montana, with many outdoor portraits of American Indians. Views include an outdoor image taken from an elevation capturing a large group of Indians sitting in a large circle in the middle of town with a large crowd gathered around them; a portrait of an American Indian man and woman identified as Crow from the caption affixed to the verso and a newspaper clipping titled "An Indian Bridal Pair"; an image of women tanning buffalo hides outside in front of two tipis, the pencil inscription to verso reading: "These are some of my friends cleaning buffalo hides and softening buckskin. This is the Cheyenne camp, I can see this camp from my window...I often watch them working with their poor, old, knotty, gnarled hands while the lordly bucks enjoy their pipes beneath the shade of the 'teepee'."; an image of the Yellowstone Journal Job Printing Office, the verso pencil inscription noting: "Yellowstone Journal the first paper printed in Custer co. I have the office every time I go to Miles City; an image of a ferryboat and two men, the verso pencil inscription noting: "This is the Tongue River, and a short way to the left, it empties in the Yellowstone, we are right in the angle between the two rivers. We drive down in our buggy on to this flat boat and are ferried across to Miles city where we do our shopping."; a view of downtown Miles City, the pencil inscription noting: "Getting off the ferry we drive into Miles city here this looks eastward. And shows the main steet. Wide you see. No lack of room. Come out here and pitch your tents. Its a great and glorious country!"; and another view of Miles City, the inscription reading: "the other end of Miles City looking Westward. This will give you some idea of a frontier town. This town occupies the site of what was Sitting Bull's camp. Here the lordly Savage baked his toes, and tossed the ashes of his own camp fire. Where your glory now old Brave." 6 stereoviews of Ft. Keough, MT, built in 1876 after the Battle of Little Bighorn. Includes images of houses and various buildings around the town, an image of school children with a school teacher outside, and a view of a large group of men cleaning up a destroyed building, the pencil inscription to verso noting: "Barracks wrecked by tornado, Aug. '81. We were on the margin of the storm centre, but it was terrific!"
  
  Provenance: Descended Directly in the Family of Philip J. Dieter

  Condition

  ALS: 5.25 x 7 in., lightly toned. 1865 discharge document - 8 x 10 in., heavily toned, splits at creases. 1869 discharge - 7.75 x 9.5 in., some light soiling occasional stain. Print - light stain in upper right quadrant.Stereoviews - slightly bowed as is typical. 
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