Beschreibung:

ALS, 10pp, 5 x 8 in., with the original transmittal envelope. "Pine Tree Signal Station Out Post Line Defences of Newbern North Carolina / Jan. 3d. 1864." Written by Elisha Peirce, who enlisted on April 16, 1861 as a private and was mustered into E company, Massachusetts 5th Infantry. The following year he was commissioned into Company F of the same infantry and transferred into the US Army Signal Corps on November 11, 1862. He was wounded at Bull Run on July 21, 1861. A great narrative letter to Peirce's wife, including lyrics of a song heard from a recently escaped contraband. In part: ... last evening... a sergeant of cavalry knocked at my tent... I expected it was a dispatch... and I dreaded leaving the cheerful fire... but my fear soon turned to rejoicing for he reported two contrabands coming into the lines. As soon as they made their appearance I had them brought into my tent and the furniture... moved into a corner and room made for a dance. All darkies can dance, but these were professional characters... Ned is a dancer & Jerry is a songster, makes up songs about everything of interest that happens in Dukeling County. They belonged to Mrs. Betsy Sulervan and Jerry sang a song about his escape... Poor old Betsy. gone away /Had two niggers gone away /Betsy's groaning. Gone away /Niggers happy. Gone away /Free darkies gone away /Independent darkies - gone away /Taking his enjoyment - gone away /Betsy split her own wood - gone away /Skin her own steers - gone away /Salt her three hogs - gone away /Free man dancing - gone away /Betsy mourning - gone away /Don't grieve Betsy - by and by /Dukeling gentlm'n - by and by /Call you a visit - by and by /Coming with the Yankees - by and by /Fighting for Lincum - by and by /Shoot massa Leisha - by and by /Shoot massa Charlie - by and by /Good by Betsy - gone away & c... For half an hour, keeping us in a row of laughter all the time. When any part of the son please Ned... he would cut a pigeon wing that would give Morris, Pell & Brothers Ethiopia Minstrels the blues for a week... Peirce gives a quick account of how Ned and Jerry made their escape, attributing their success to "the Jack", a divining rod of sorts: "The Jack is a very wonderful thing to a darkie. It is composed of a thunderbolt and found near the foot of a tree struck by lightning, it is soaked in vinegar for 24 hours exactly. Then taken out and filed with a new file, put in a little bag, together with salt and brimstone & sewed up tightly with a string attached to it... Their belief in the Jack is as firm as their faith in God..." Peirce then describes how Ned had used "the Jack" to discover his wife's (she lived on a plantation five miles away) infidelity. Peirce reports that Ned & Jerry have enlisted: "They wish to go right back where they came from and show their old Misses their new clothes and fight the rebels. They say they are willing to fight though they say they will be burned if they get taken prisoners. Great business going on in North Carolina enlisting Vetran [sic] Volunteers, Rebel deserters and darkies..." A lengthy letter, with almost all black content. Condition: Very clean, with light wear and spots of foxing at exterior folds. Transmittal envelope has been neatly torn open at right, with chips and small tears at edges. An almost complete typed transcript of the letter is included.