3582

ARCHIVE OF CHARLES PORTER MATTOCKS, 17TH MAINE

Currency:USD Category:Firearms & Military Start Price:750.00 USD Estimated At:1,500.00 - 2,000.00 USD
ARCHIVE OF CHARLES PORTER MATTOCKS, 17TH MAINE
INFANTRY. Charles Mattocks entered the war Sept. 1862 as a 1st Lt., but when the war ended he was a Brevet Brigadier General. He was captured at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864, spent 8 months in prison, escaped & was recaptured after 10 days. He was exchanged in early 1865 & reentered his regiment. At the battle of Sailors Creek April 6th 1865, he was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for “gallantly leading charge”. This archive includes about 50 letters, most w/ envelopes & an additional 100 envelopes addressed to him or his family, sending letters home. 30 Letters he wrote during the war to his parents (mother & stepfather) Col. & Mrs. Isaac Dyer. Several of Charles’ letters are quite long & give great detail unlike so many letters written home to a mother, not wanting them to worry about the peril. Charles writes in great detail, always being in the middle of the fight. He starts a letter “Battlefield near Gettysburg, PA, Friday morning July 3rd 4 o’clock am. My dear Mother, another terrible fight and yet I am safe. Our regiment was in the thickest of the fight- close musketry- and lost over 100 men in an hour. This morning cannonading has commenced and while I am writing a few shells are bursting over my head. The regiment has quite a number killed…”, p. 4 “Same place, One half mile advanced 10am the 3rd. The fight is going on easily in front. We are now the rear line and I can write a little more definitely. My loss is 2 killed, 7 wounded and 1 missing… We lost over 100 men in an hour I had 3 men all the time busy loading for me to fire. General Sickles died this morning. We are now expecting heavy reinforcements and expect a complete victory… In haste, Charlie”. Charles has stated in the first part of this letter that Sickles had lost a leg, which of course is historical fact, but he survived. It just shows you how rumors gets started in the field. Several letters are written from prison. There is an interesting group of correspondence concerning this potential exchange while a prisoner. His last letter “BIVOUAC NEAR CLOVER HDQ, APPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE APRIL 10TH 1865 My dear Mother, I presume you have already heard the glorious news; the army of Northern Virginia surrendered to us yesterday in the afternoon just as our corps was advancing to the attack once more… The 17th was quite hotly engaged on the 6th. We made 3 distinct charges, captured about 150 prisoners, 2 rebel battle flags, 12 or 14 rebel officers, some 40 or 50 wagons… I was as usual among the fortunate, escaping without a scratch. We went in with 26 officers and lost 5… The charges were really glorious and afforded ample chances for the ambitious to “show their hands”. The regiment lost in all 32 on the 6th and 2 on the 7th. We have been under fire several different days but have been very fortunate… I never saw the 17th in so good spirits. We had a running and most successful fight for 5 miles in the line of battle. Our second charge was upon the line of Rebel pits under very heavy fire. The last charge was upon the Rebel wagon trains under heavy artillery and musketry fire continued. The Rebs ran like sheep and many who would not surrender but tried to escape were shot down without mercy… It seems to me that I am bulletproof although I must confess that I did not lack much from getting hit several times.” Mattocks’ humble description of his heroism on April 6th was later rewarded by the Congressional Medal of Honor, where the citation stated "Maj. Mattocks displayed extraordinary gallantry in leading a charge of his regiment". After the war Mattocks graduated from Harvard Law School in 1867 & became a Col. in the Maine militia, commanding all state forces. During the Spanish-American war, Mattocks commanded the 1st Maine as Brig. Gen. of Volunteers. CONDITION: letters & covers are generally very good to fine w/ some exceptions, especially covers that have had stamps removed, reductions & soiling. (02-14030-1/JS). $1,500-2,000.