lot of 3, including an 8pp manuscript letter written on two folded letter sheets with printed heading Washington Arsenal/Washington, D.C., dated June 20th, 1864 and written by Lt. William Prince, 159th N.Y. Infantry, who was detailed to the Ordnance Department Feb. 12, 1864. Lot also includes an 8" x 11" unmounted albumen photograph of the arsenal in ruins with several gentlemen looking at the destruction. The letter is written to Dear Bunny and reading in part ...And now, of course, for the explosion. I enclose you photographs of the laboratory buildings as they were, and as one of them is... The letter describes in detail from the beginning cause of the fire to the end what occurred including the death of several women loading cartridge and the escape of the others, some severely burned. The Arsenal commander, Major Benton's brave actions in leading the fire fighting efforts and the gallant emptying of the powder magazine, next to the burning building, is described as follows: I walked up to the Major. "Major, shall we bring out the powder?"...I never enjoyed authority as I did this day. McKee, Stockton, and myself walked up with the Major to the door, keeping out of the flame by zigzag approaches to it from the south and east. The Major unlocked the door, I turned and ordered the men to stand by and I spoke so that I thought it was somebody else. It was so delightful to know that they had to come where I went. Three streams from the great steam fire engine of the arsenal were now playing upon the fire and powder house. We three Lieut's walked in to the little black house. Once in there stood the terrible barrels so serene that they didn't look as if it would go off if you threw a spark in it. I handed one to a man, (they are half barrels) and I looked at him--he was sound, and carried it away. McKee handed out another, the Major standing at the door and one stream fairly deluged us as we stood inside. Stockton upset the other on the floor and the great stream of the engine being instantly directed on it by the Major it was a mass of black slush in a moment. The house instead of being a vast bombshell was literally afloat and I was cold when I waded out and the flame struck me all of a heap but felt rather good. I tell you I never felt before in action or out of it as I did then. It is glorious in these times to know that you have a right to order men that they dare not refuse to go where you go yourself--the means seems so simple. The men however who passed the barrels along to the canal, especially the first ones were the bravest of all. Lot includes two typed transcriptions of the entire letter. The final piece is a single page letter with printed letterhead Ordnance Office/Watervliet Arsenal/West Troy, N.Y., dated Nov. 14th, 1865, addressed to Brig. Gen. L. Thomas by Lt. Prince, acknowledging receipt of his appointment from Sec. of War as 1st Lt. and Captain for gallantry at the Washington Arsenal fire. This archive also includes a large number of military records dealing with Prince's military career, as well as all the previous owners letters to the U.S. Army and other institutions seeking information on his career. The last piece in this archive is an issue of the New York Times, dated Saturday, June 18, 1864, with a last page article about a fire in the Washington Arsenal. Condition: Letters with normal folds, VG+; photo VG.
lot of 3, including an 8pp manuscript letter written on two folded letter sheets with printed heading Washington Arsenal/Washington, D.C., dated June 20th, 1864 and written by Lt. William Prince, 159th N.Y. Infantry, who was detailed to the Ordnance Department Feb. 12, 1864. Lot also includes an 8" x 11" unmounted albumen photograph of the arsenal in ruins with several gentlemen looking at the destruction. The letter is written to Dear Bunny and reading in part ...And now, of course, for the explosion. I enclose you photographs of the laboratory buildings as they were, and as one of them is... The letter describes in detail from the beginning cause of the fire to the end what occurred including the death of several women loading cartridge and the escape of the others, some severely burned. The Arsenal commander, Major Benton's brave actions in leading the fire fighting efforts and the gallant emptying of the powder magazine, next to the burning building, is described as follows: I walked up to the Major. "Major, shall we bring out the powder?"...I never enjoyed authority as I did this day. McKee, Stockton, and myself walked up with the Major to the door, keeping out of the flame by zigzag approaches to it from the south and east. The Major unlocked the door, I turned and ordered the men to stand by and I spoke so that I thought it was somebody else. It was so delightful to know that they had to come where I went. Three streams from the great steam fire engine of the arsenal were now playing upon the fire and powder house. We three Lieut's walked in to the little black house. Once in there stood the terrible barrels so serene that they didn't look as if it would go off if you threw a spark in it. I handed one to a man, (they are half barrels) and I looked at him--he was sound, and carried it away. McKee handed out another, the Major standing at the door and one stream fairly deluged us as we stood inside. Stockton upset the other on the floor and the great stream of the engine being instantly directed on it by the Major it was a mass of black slush in a moment. The house instead of being a vast bombshell was literally afloat and I was cold when I waded out and the flame struck me all of a heap but felt rather good. I tell you I never felt before in action or out of it as I did then. It is glorious in these times to know that you have a right to order men that they dare not refuse to go where you go yourself--the means seems so simple. The men however who passed the barrels along to the canal, especially the first ones were the bravest of all. Lot includes two typed transcriptions of the entire letter. The final piece is a single page letter with printed letterhead Ordnance Office/Watervliet Arsenal/West Troy, N.Y., dated Nov. 14th, 1865, addressed to Brig. Gen. L. Thomas by Lt. Prince, acknowledging receipt of his appointment from Sec. of War as 1st Lt. and Captain for gallantry at the Washington Arsenal fire. This archive also includes a large number of military records dealing with Prince's military career, as well as all the previous owners letters to the U.S. Army and other institutions seeking information on his career. The last piece in this archive is an issue of the New York Times, dated Saturday, June 18, 1864, with a last page article about a fire in the Washington Arsenal. Condition: Letters with normal folds, VG+; photo VG.
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.jpg "Source: Christie's")
.jpg "Source: Christie's")
