Sergeant David Holmes, 20th Michigan Infantry, KIA Cold Harbor, Civil War Diary, Correspondence, & Sketchbook

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Nov 18, 2016 - Nov 19, 2016

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• Lot Description
  Pocket diary for the year 1858; 5 war-date letters (including 3 soldier’s letters); pocket diary partially spanning 1862-1863; sketchbook from the 1864 Overland Campaign; miscellaneous Holmes family documents.
  
  On July 2, 1862, following heavy losses in the Peninsula Campaign, President Abraham Lincoln called on the states to raise “three hundred thousand more” soldiers for the Union army. Twenty-one-year-old David Clinton Holmes answered this call when he enlisted into the Union army on July 23, 1862. A printer by trade, Holmes hailed from Pulaski, MI, in Jackson County. Holmes mustered into “H” Company of the 20th Michigan Infantry on August 19, 1862. On September 1, 1862, Holmes and his regiment departed Jackson, MI, to join the Army of the Potomac.
  
  According to a regimental history compiled by General Byron M. Cutcheon of the 20th, this regiment was “always at the front, was never stationed in a fort, never on duty at the rear, but was constantly on the fighting line.” Holmes would see action throughout his enlistment including at the Battles of Fredericksburg; Horse Bend, KY; Vicksburg, MS; Blue Springs, TN; Wilderness; Spotsylvania; and finally at Cold Harbor where he lost his life. The Civil War-era manuscript material in the collection provides insight into the rigors of daily life for a Civil War soldier, but it is in his artistic renderings that Holmes paints the most vivid and relatable portrait of his wartime experiences.
  
  An interesting element to this collection is that a pre-war diary is included with the Civil War materials. The 1858 diary allows for an exploration of the civilian life Holmes left behind, which only heightens the longing later revealed in his wartime writings and illustrations. The pocket diary spans January 1st through December 31, 1858. 
  
  The interior cover page of the diary was inscribed by Holmes as follows: D. C. Holmes “Citizen Office,” Jackson, Jackson, Co. Michigan, January 1st, 1858. The diary begins on January 1st with this musing from Holmes: The New Year! yes the New Year, a whole year is now before the world, it is not only New Years here but all over the whole world. Many will hail it with gladness, but a silent tear passes over my cheek as I think of the past. Mother, brother, Sisters, and old friend whom I now hold dear, I heartily “Wish you a happy New Years;” to my enemies (if I have any) may they seek to do their utmost in gratifying their revenge, and them, a Happy New Years to them. He then continues, What am I doing today I ask myself. Why nothing that is, in particular, got up swept out the office and I then loafed. This loafing is hard work, but then it is New Year. Throughout the diary, Holmes demonstrates a youthful exuberance and sense of humor: January 12 All quiet and cool in the Office today, only a wee bit of a skirmish in the afternoon no body killed. Set type went on errands.
  
  Holmes writes often about his work in the printing industry as in this January 7th entry: Publication day, and a busy day too papers to work off, forms to wash, water to carry, papers to fold, and the City papers to carry make a fellow “git up and git!” He writes about his family and longing for letters from home. Lengthy stretches without correspondence were a great source of frustration to Holmes as he angrily recorded on July 28, 1858, Letters: if I ever was mad I’m mad now, no letters! What does it mean have all the folks slighted me. I’ll get up a new set, blow me if I don’t! If I do get one now, if I write back, shoot me! A whole week without a letter!
  
  His entries are often rife with philosophical whimsy as in this March 1858 entry: Riches…What are they composed of: owning a fine house, grounds, a splendid stone, (not paid for). No Oh no! What then owning a large farm with fine houses barns and all the necessaries, and also (a mortgage on it) No oh no. What then owning a bank with 2 or 3 million dollars of notes out that you cannot redeem. Oh yes I have at last found out what true riches are mere phantoms. Holmes’ diary possesses some romantic whimsy as well. He writes about the possibility of finding a woman with whom he could share his life: June 7 A house, with a snug, nice little parlor, with books and a pretty little ---- guess ---- not very little, but plump, fair, and just about right. How pleasant it would be with dressing gown, slippers, the paper to read and a wife to listen….
  
  This 1858 diary contains a limited number of sketches, including a self-portrait from August 3rd where Holmes illustrates himself in the uniform of Liberty Hose No. 3, the local fire brigade. You see that I am a member of fire Co. No. 3 the shirt is green, not a very good green in the above [illustration]. Holmes mentions the fire companies multiple times in the diary and it is clear he takes pride in his role as a fireman, just as he would later take pride in his role as a soldier for the Union. The image of Holmes here is similar to a later self-portrait in one of his letters.
  
  Perhaps the most prophetic entry in this diary comes on Sunday, November 21st when he writes, E.A.P. has often asked the question: “Dave aren’t you afraid to die? Do you feel as if you was ready to be called away at any moment without warning? He always seemed taken aback when I would answer, yes! But I again say “(Yes!!) I am ready at every moment and only wish to die quietly as did my father. It is true I have a great deal to expect good and bad, and is equally true that I have had both already, it is true that I have a purpose to live for – some object in view, If I die soon it surely would never be accomplished….
  
  The first letter of the collection is dated July 28th, 1860. It is an ink copy of a letter that was originally written to David Holmes, and which he copied himself because It being written with a lead pencil was not likely to be preserved. The letter is from an unknown sender who wishes to extol the virtues of a Miss Straight. The author explains that She is just as pretty a looking girl as there is in the city. He continues, If she will have you I advise you to marry her, for she will bring sunshine to your home, she will cheer you when in sorrow and will make you happy…. For all I do not know you, I think by the description that has been given me of you. I think you will make her as good a husband as she will a wife.
  
  The next letter in the collection is written from David Holmes to Dear M. D. Dated June 2, 1862, it contains a wide range of miscellaneous bits and information. It is unique, however, because it once again features a self-portrait of Holmes in my new “Smoking Cap.”
  
  The third letter in the collection begins Holmes’ wartime correspondence, and primarily recounts details of his travel with the 20th Michigan Infantry Regiment to join the Army of the Potomac at the start of his enlistment. It is written on October 7, 1862 – a little over a month after his departure from Michigan – from Camp near Antietam Creek, Md. The letter is written almost as if he is recording individual diary entries. His initial reports show Holmes to be in good spirits and impressed by the beauty of the terrain over which he journeys. Sunday 21 – We are seemingly at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains yet they are 5 miles away. From where we lie the scenery is grand. Was Sergeant of the Rear Guard yesterday and last eve. I stand the march well. Do not march today.
  
  As Holmes moves closer to the heart of the conflict, however, he encounters more evidence of battle and carnage. The next day’s entry in his letter describes the aftermath of fighting in South Mountain: At 9 o’clock we reached the foot of Blue Ridge. Saw the place where the 17th Mich made their celebrated charge after the rebels. Evidence of the late fight all along the road. Houses fluttered [?] with shot and dead horses tell the tale. Where we encamped for the night but a short distance from us were buried nearly 40 soldiers, mostly from Wisconsin. The fight took place here Sunday week. The following day the regiment arrived at Antietam. Once again Holmes recorded the bleak reminders of what had transpired and of what was yet to come for him: Over the battle ground of Wednesday today. Dead horses, shells, houses riddled tell that the rebels had been here and been driven out in a hurry. Passed through Boonsboro & Sharpsburg – every church & public building is used as a hospital and scarcely a house in either town but has been pierced by a shell. Holmes ends the letter encouraging his brother to Write once a week without fail….
  
  Just a few weeks before Holmes penned the previous letter to his brother, he begins writing in his wartime journal. This journal begins with his enlistment in September 1862 and ends in October 1863. The exterior cover is missing from this well-worn journal, and it is discolored in places with both the passage of time and perhaps dirt or blood from the field of battle. The binding remains intact, however, and with few exceptions the print is legible throughout.
  
  The majority of the diary details what Holmes refers to as “Regimental Memoranda” or “Company Memoranda,” typically straightforward descriptions of regimental troop movements and marches, tasks to which he was assigned, names of officers and changes in leadership, and small skirmishes encountered along the way. Holmes frequently interjects his thoughts on all that transpires as in this December 1862 entry following the Battle of Fredericksburg: Our part in the disastrous battle of Fredericksburg was very unimportant. The old adage of “20,000 men marched up the hill & then marched down again tells the whole story.”
  
  As the diary progresses it is clear Holmes has less and less time for journaling. His initial entries in 1862 are lengthier and more descriptive than his entries from 1863. His typically neat script becomes hurried and less legible. This corresponds to the increase in action Holmes experienced following his March 1863 transfer to the Western theater where he subsequently fought in battles including Horseshoe Bend, KY (May 5, 1863); Vicksburg, MS (May-July, 1863); and Blue Springs, TN (October 10, 1863). Little description of these engagements is recorded. Of the battle at Blue Springs Holmes simply writes Saturday 10 – Marched out to Blue Springs. At 4 o.c. our Brigade advanced and drove the rebels about a mile & a half. Co. H. lost 1 killed 2 wounded…. As the fighting intensified for his regiment, Holmes begins to record the mounting number of casualties. A later page from the diary begins Casualties in Co H since May 5 and is followed by a list of men and the date they were deceased.
  
  The wartime diary also includes a few sketches though these are much less detailed than those in the 1864 sketchbook. Most notably the diary includes a two-page inventory of his and Dr. H T. Cliff’s effects from Oct 23, 1863. Included in their effects are a multitude of items including the following: blankets, knapsacks, canteens and utensils, an assortment of food staples, boots and clothing, ink pens and holders, drawing books, a spyglass, a tobacco box with two pounds smoking tobacco, a boxing manual, two bacon sandwiches and ¼ tomato pie.
  
  Shortly after this inventory was taken Holmes was dispatched for recruiting duty in Michigan. The next item in the collection is from this period of Holmes enlistment. In a brief letter written from Ann Arbor and dated March, 24, 1864, David Holmes addresses his Dear Brother & Sister, Winslow Hale “W. H.” Holmes and Theresa Holmes, to let them know he intends to come down for a visit. A separate, hand-written notation at the bottom of this letter has been added and reads: He came to see us for the last time and returned to the army, and was killed June 7, 1864, at Cold Harbor. W. H. Holmes.
  
  In April 1864 following recruitment duty in Michigan, David Holmes rejoined his regiment in Annapolis, MD. Here the 20th was preparing for entry into Grant’s Overland Campaign. It was during this time that he began drawing in his sketchbook. At just under 4.5 x 6.25 in., this small notebook self-titled Sketches around the Camp easily would have fit into the pocket of a soldier’s uniform. The front and rear covers are separated from the spine of the notebook, but the rest of the notebook is intact. 
  
  Given that Holmes had only recently returned from a visit to his beloved home and family, it is no surprise that the first drawing on the title page of his sketchbook is captioned simply HOME and includes the text Pulaski, Jackson Co. Michigan 1864. It is a loving rendition of a farmhouse surrounded by a fence and trees, and enclosed in frame-like fashion with a wreath of foliage. Perched atop this wreath is a soldier at rest which one can only assume is Sgt. Holmes himself.
  
  Each drawing thereafter is carefully numbered and thoughtfully sketched. A thin, blue piece of tissue paper separates each page in the book. While in some places the pencil sketches and notations are faint, overall the imagery is clearly visible. Most sketches are captioned.
  
  Holmes’ sketchbook captures images that on one level present his specific experiences, and yet in other ways remain representative of Civil War soldiers on every field of battle. He drew soldiers engaged in daily tasks of marching, eating, and building breastworks; he drew deserters and escaped slaves; he drew the battleground and rows of dead soldiers. Captions include “Fartherest Out – How are you Johnny Reb”; Deserters – Coming over naked, being examined by Major Barnes; “Contrabands.”; Ready to March; and House near picket-post, Spotsylvania, Va. May 10th.
  
  While Holmes pre-numbered the pages up to page 78, his last rendering is found on page 13. Here Holmes sketched a Union soldier sitting casually while at rest in his lean-to. The notation underneath the drawing reads His last drawing – just finished it previous to going out on the skirmish line. It is intended to represent Lieut Barnard, smoking behind the breastworks. Truly Your Friend, H. T. Cliff .
  
  Sergeant David C. Holmes was killed June 7, 1864, during ongoing hostilities at the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA. Just a day prior, he had written a letter to his brother and sister. In this letter a more war-weary Holmes emerges, It does me a “heap” of good to get such cheerful letters from you, and I look forward, hopefully, to the time when once again, in peace, I can enjoy with you the blessing of home. Once in a while it looks doubtful, most every day I see some of my comrades taken away, but then I think “will not that Providence which has so kindly protected me this far bring me safely back to you.”
  
  Holmes endured seemingly ceaseless fighting and, especially during the Overland Campaign, witnessed enormous loss of life. In this final letter he includes a company statement since the commencement of Battles on the 5th of May and includes a list of Casualties by date beginning May 7 and continuing through June 3. Twenty men with their name, rank, and cause of death are listed. He details his regiment’s advance and remarks often on the near constant shelling from the Confederates. As I conclude this letter another shell came over hurting nobody. Holmes’ good fortune did not hold and he was mortally wounded the very next day.
  
  Without knowledge of his brother’s passing, W. H. Holmes writes his brother on June 13th, the final wartime letter in the collection. This letter reveals the toll war takes on the families left behind as they are left to wonder and wait for news of loved ones. With breathless silence we often think of the movements of the grand army, and wonder how our brother gets through the trials of war, when a good letter comes and tells us “All safe, so far.” W. H. Holmes later offers encouragement to David: Now Brother, I know you must be tired, but hopeful, hope is what keeps the heart up. I wish I could step in and relieve you a few days. I would gladly do it to give you rest. Later he offers one piece of advice, Universal Freedom and liberty will yet prevail let the ball roll on “we conquer or die” “Put your trust in Providence and keep your powder dry.”
  
  The remainder of the collection consists of a small leather case containing miscellaneous family documents and another small sketchbook of unknown date. While a few war-related images are included, this Holmes sketchbook is less formal and predominantly features images of men in frontal or side view portraits.
  
  One final item of note is a pencil rendering of a tombstone that bears the inscription his family intended for a grave marker. It reads:
  
  David Clinton Holmes/ Company H/ 20th Regt Michigan Infantry/ Killed in a Skirmish/ At Cold Harbor Virginia/ June 7, 1864/ “A true and noble patriot/ was fallen fighting for his/ country”/ We will only think of you/ as sleeping, brother,/ Underneath that southern tree.

  Condition

  Pre-war diary, the front cover and the first few pages are detached; the rear cover is nearly detached as well. However, the interior of the diary remains in excellent condition and the daily diary entries are clearly legible.
  Wartime journal, the exterior cover is missing from this well-worn journal, and it is discolored in places with both the passage of time and perhaps dirt or blood from the field of battle. The binding remains intact, however, and with few exceptions the print is legible throughout.
  Sketchbook, the front and rear covers are separated from the spine of the notebook, but the rest of the notebook is intact. Slight discolorations once again appear on many of the pages though they do not impact the visibility or quality of the imagery.
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