Lot Details
Lot 15
[Civil War] Deuel, Charles
Autograph manuscript journals, five volumes, together five hundred twelve pages, 12mo, simulated leather and calf, 28 October 1861-14 June 1864.
Deuel was a member of the 13th Regiment, Illinois Infantry, Company K. His journals begin at Camp Bolliver in the Ozarks under General Price and Sigal and end three and a half years later after heavy fighting at Madison Station, AL. The journals contain extensive records of battles and camp life, beginning in March, 1861 with heavy fighting at Pea Ridge, AK. He later describes a scene from this battle: "thair is a pile of dead Indians 15 of them that is not buried nor i guess they will not be neather, they scalped lots of our men blast thair scin i say." The journals provide an important look into the western theater of the war, and into the everyday reality of the soldier: "whilst i was eating my dinner to day the doctors was a cutting of 3 leggs not more than 15 feet from our table it looked hard and i could not eat much dinner they hallowed like good fellows i tell you." His second volume opens at Batesville, AK where his unit is building a boat. Descriptions of armed encounters with "suchers" follow Deuel as he moves toward "the old Missippa river": "Well didn't the old river look grand to us"; at the time there were more than 40,000 union troops there. At Helena, AK, they make preparations for a trip down the Mississippi. The trip sees heavy action along the river and at the Battle of Fort Hindman, AK on 11 January 1863 is a description of heavy losses and Deuel's first view of Vicksburg. On 23 January, Deuel describes the beginning of the seige on Vicksburg and the arrival of Grant. On July 3 and 4, 1863, Deuel is present when Vicksburg surrenders, "glory hallaluyer vicksburg is ours and in our hands it is a happy forth of july... it is the greatest sight i ever saw to see." Later that year he participates in battle around Tuscumbia, AL and at Lookout Mountain where there was heavy artillery fire until the Union finally gained the mountain on November 25th. The fifth volume records events surrounding "General Sherman [who] is on the moove over in Miss"; this was Sherman's Meridian Campaign. Deuel's company goes to guard the railroad at Paint Rock Bridge and grows dissatisfied: "we are in mud up to our ass but it is all millitary i suppose." At Madison Station in May, Deuel hears that "General Grant has got them tight at Richmond." On 26 November, he is engaged at Chickamauga Crick, where they had "the hottest fighting that we had," with over 400 killed and wounded. At Madison "thair was a breaksman killed here to day a going under a bridge he was all torne to pieces thar was not a piece left of him as big as your fist. The boys picked up the largest pieces and put them in a little box and buried them." Madison Station saw tremendous action, leading Deuel to reflect "the place must [be] all burnt" and that "the niggs is the only honest people thair is down here in the south." His commission ended May 1864, and since his company's books had been burned, he assumes it will be difficult to get paid for his service: "i am a citizen once more."
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