Confederate General Isaac R. Trimble Archive, Incl. ALS as POW & Reference to Gettysburg

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• Lot Description

  Lot of 6.

  Isaac Ridgeway Trimble (1802-1888) was born in Culpeper County, VA, but the family moved to Kentucky shortly after his birth. His uncle was a congressman from that state and helped secure a position for him at USMA. He graduated in 1822 and was commissioned into an artillery unit. He served for a decade, leaving with several classmates to get involved in the growing railroad business, where he could apply his knowledge of engineering. This was the area in which he actually excelled at West Point.
  
  Shortly after leaving the army, at the suggestion of his wife, the family moved to Maryland (Baltimore), which he came to consider his home state. At the time, the focus of railroad construction was in the East, and Trimble helped survey a number of major rail lines, including the Baltimore and Ohio and several predecessors of the Pennsylvania Railroad. For a couple years prior to the war, he was superintendent of the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad. When war erupted, he tried to stop Federal troops from reaching Washington (most came in by rail) by destroying all of the bridges in and to Baltimore (mostly from the north).
  
  When it became clear that Maryland would not secede, Trimble crossed the border into Virginia to volunteer his services. He was commissioned Brigadier General in the Army of the Potomac, which would later evolve into the Army of Northern Virginia. Their first order of business combined both of Trimble’s talents, constructing artillery batteries along the Potomac and around Norfolk. He first saw combat as part of Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Shenandoah campaign. He distinguished himself in a number of battles, Cross Keys, Gaines’ Mill, Cedar Mountain, and others. He was wounded in the leg at Second Manassas, and had to leave the field, although doctors were able to save his leg. During his recuperation, he began a campaign for promotion to Major General. General Jackson wrote a letter in support of Trimble’s promotion, with the caveat that Trimble was not a good disciplinarian. (But Stonewall was known as a particularly strict disciplinarian and may have been a bit biased, or maybe feared that he should not be too enthusiastic about Trimble’s promotion, since Trimble was known as a bit of a gadfly.) Trimble reportedly told Jackson that he intended “to be a Major General or a corpse.”
  
  When Lee crossed into northern territory, Trimble could not stand anymore, particularly since he was familiar with this territory from his railroad operations. He joined Lee’s headquarters without orders to do so. When he wore out his welcome there, he joined General Richard Ewell, again without orders. Ewell’s forces reached Gettysburg in the afternoon of July 1. Trimble and Ewell later quarreled over whether to pursue the advantage they had gained in the day’s battle, but Ewell thought that he should not provoke a “general engagement” per Lee’s orders. Trimble reportedly threw down his sword in disgust and went out to reconnoiter the area. He identified a couple of hills, especially Culp’s Hill, that would be a good vantage point. But Ewell would not let him take even a company of men to attack the hill that night (Trimble was also fond of planning night attacks).
  
  On July 3, Lee ordered three divisions to attack the center of General Meade’s line along Cemetery Ridge. General George Pickett was on the right and Pettigrew and Trimble, stepping in for the mortally wounded General Pender, on the left. This would prove to be the culmination of the Battle of Gettysburg, and the end of Trimble’s military career. The Confederates were soundly defeated and Trimble was shot in the ankle of the same leg wounded at Second Manassas. He lost the lower third of his leg, but was too injured to move when the army retreated, so he spent the remainder of the war as a prisoner at Johnson’s Island and Fort Warren. Although recommended for parole after capture, it was denied in Washington because of Trimble’s knowledge of the northern railroads.
  
  After the war, he returned to his engineering work. Baltimore’s President Street Station was built by Trimble (in 1849), and was recently restored to serve as a Civil War Museum.
  
  The first letter in this group was written from Fort Warren while Trimble was a prisoner of war. It has the censor’s initials in the upper right corner of the first page. This letter was written to a young woman who sent Trimble a photo. Most of it is personal, although he takes a few “jabs” at CSA General John Frazer, a cellmate at Fort Warren. The letter mostly concerns photographs and poetry that was being exchanged. From some comments in the letter, it seems as though he has a kind of “pen pal” list of admirers with whom he regularly communicated (all seem to be ladies).
  
  The other five letters are post-war to Frank Champion. In the ORs, Trimble reports on the actions of August 22-27, 1862 in Northern Virginia. He mentions the contributions of several men, Lt. Colonel Fulton, 21st North Carolina, Captain W.C. Hall, AAG, and Lieutenant W.D. McKim, ADC. “I think proper also to name Frank Champion, my mounted orderly, for the display of intelligence and activity in the field in conveying orders and obtaining information.” (US Congressional Serial Set, Vol. 2323, US Govt. Printing Office, 1885, pp 718-720)
  
  The first is dated July 29, 1866. He mentions the poverty in the South after the war and asks how Frank is getting along and what business he is engaged in. “No body is rich now in the South and many are I fear badly off, & some nearly starving. How is it in your county for food & clothing. Let me know as the ladies of Baltimore and the state are getting up a grand “fair” for the benefit of the Southern poor in each state…The money will be sent into the Southern States to be distributed to all who are most in need….” He also notes “I do wish we could meet & talk over the War scenes. Sometime we may…”
  
  In a letter dated October 23, 1866, he notes that it has been difficult this year, “having to buy horses, cows, agricultural implements, & corn & bacon,” but next year will be better when they can produce all these things plus have some to sell. He asks Frank: “How are your cotton fields south & corn & how do you get on with the ‘free American darkies’ do they work & behave themselves? They do pretty well with us, but can’t be depended on without watching all the time.“

  
  The next letter is from New Year’s Eve 1873. Trimble mentions that he and his wife “talk of the past, the dear but sad past and we never forget to think of you dear boy…” Most of the remainder is asking Frank how things are, and noting that they have purchased a house in town but still go to the country to rest.

  
  The fourth letter is dated March 16, 1887. Mostly asking questions, but still with the same Trimble ego. “Are you planting cotton…are you married & have children You ought to name a boy after me.” He continues: “I am in my 83rd year and am fairly well for that age.” He speaks of the dead colleagues, and says “I always speak of you as more [direct?] to me in Battle than any one on my staff.”
  
  The last is dated September 2, 1887. “We must all … reflect that we might have been [killed] off. That day in Gettysburg was I really think the … happiest of my life – for I only lost  a leg and fully expected to loose my life….I have never got over my losses from the war – but got things so fixed up that I can live respectably and comfortably…” He relates that he had to sell a house, and his wife died five years ago, his sons moved away from Baltimore with their families, and he had no one living with him. “You gratify me extremely, by saying your son is called Trimble & I will soon send him something to make him remember me." We hope he did so since Trimble died just four months later, January 2, 1888.

  Condition

  As expected, with folds and some toning, minor soiling of outer panel of letters.

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