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THBRobert Stedman, 3rd Maryland Battalion, Civil War Archive
Lot 374
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Cowan's Auctions
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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By Cowan's Auctions
Jun 13, 2014 - Jun 14, 2014
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2014-06-13 01:00:00
2014-06-14 01:00:00
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- Lot Description
Archive of 39 letters from Robert Stedman to his “betrothed” Hattie Beaver, dating from June 1863 to July 1865, many accompanied by the original envelopes. Additional documents include: four envelopes addressed to Stedman; a recommendation for consideration of Gen. Wm. F. Rogers as a candidate for Department Commander in the Grand Army; and a partial document, perhaps a Leave of Absence note.
Robert Stedman enlisted as a private in the Maryland 3rd Infantry August 12, 1861. During his four years in the military he was promoted to Sergeant and then to 1st Lieutenant. He was 1st Lieutenant and Assistant Regimental Quartermaster at his mustering out on July 31, 1865. While Stedman served in a Maryland unit, it appears from his letters that he was from the New York City area. He was born ca 1844 and lived to 54 years of age. He is buried at Hackensack Cemetery, NJ. Ms. Beaver was receiving her mail in New York City, Long Island, Staten Island, and New Jersey during this period.
The Maryland 3rd Infantry was organized at Baltimore and Williamsport, MD on June 18, 1861. It was mustered out July 31, 1865, at Arlington Heights, VA. The unit was organized into Companies A through I in its early months and initially attached to Dix’s Division in Baltimore. This was a very active regiment that saw action at Harpers Ferry, Cedar Mountain, Manassas, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania, Cold Harbor, and Petersburg. The Regiment lost 8 Officers and 83 enlisted men killed and mortally wounded; 4 officers and 130 enlisted men to disease, for a total of 225 during its service.
The correspondence contains many interesting observations from Stedman while serving at the front:
On June 30, 1863, he writes: …we have bid adieu to the Sacred Soil of Virginia …and are now in Pennsylvania (moving toward Gettysburg). Our Cavalry …had a skirmish this morning at Hanover… our men were driven back 7 miles but were reinforced and drove the rebels back, capturing some of the Rebs…The whole Army of the Potomac are after the Rebs. Look out for some good news from this Army soon…we have the advantage of being in one of our own States…If we give the Rebs a sound thrashing …and Grant captured Vicksburg it will be the death blow to the Rebs…
On July 21st he comments on the New York City draft riots: What ails the people of New York to kick up such a fuss just as our Armies are so victorious, one would think that they would volunteer…but they act just the contrary way…nothing could please the Southern Confederacy better…
On December 13, 1863, he was optimistically considering re-enlisting: Our Armies are doing admirably now and if we will meet no reverses, I’m confident that this "cruel war" will meet with a speedy termination… I have a great notion to re-enlist as by doing so I can get a thirty day furlough [and] also a large bounty…
On April 26, 1864, having re-enlisted and gone home for a furlough, the Regiment was heading toward the Battle of the Wilderness and onward to Richmond: …we expect to have the extreme pleasure of taking the famous Richmond "the last ditch of the Rebs" although I feel satisfied that a great many brave men will be slaughtered before we succeed…perhaps your Bob may be one of the number … and if on earth we should meet no more, may we be prepared meet at our Father’s throne to part no more…
By June 5, 1864, the Regiment had battled at Spotsylvania, was at Cold Harbor and preparing to move on to Richmond: Grant is determined that this thing shall be no more…and God grant that it may be so… there has been fighting every day…but not without a fearful loss…our little Regiment has suffered severely for its size we have lost upwards of fifty killed, wounded and prisoners since the fighting commenced.
On August 7th, he writes of the Battle of the Crater: Our forces met with rather a severe repulse on their assault on the enemies works. Our little Regiment lost twenty five in killed, wounded and prisoners, and he discusses an earlier but failed plot by the Confederate Army to use the same mining and explosion tactic.
As the war continued on, Atlanta fell and President Lincoln was re-elected. Stedman felt strongly about the matter: Uncle Abe is re-elected and the friends of Little Mac are very much chopfallen at the defeat …[and] nothing could have pleased me so much…. The rebels of the South and the Copperheads of North were confident Mac would win and in his election the Rebs thought to accomplish their independence… As for England and France, Lincoln’s victory will be a bitter pill for them to swallow.
Thanksgiving and Christmas went by and the winter encampment wore on but fighting picked up in February, and on the 22nd he writes: I think our cause never looked so bright…and a few months more will see the end of this unnatural struggle. Deserters from the enemy are coming into our lines at an alarming rate…they all report that the Rebels are preparing to evacuate this line and probably Richmond.
As the war moved into its last actions, Stedman wrote several letters about final battles, Lincoln’s death, and the ironies of war- a fellow soldier was mustered out, on his way home and is killed in a train accident. His final letter, on July 18 predicts that he will be mustered out in two weeks and perhaps it may be a month. Fortunately this time he was right and the unit was mustered out at the end of the month.Paper size, quality and condition vary. The letters vary in length from 2pp to 6pp (folded). They are in good to very good condition.Condition
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