1863 Letter from a Union Wardmaster Unhappy about Caring for Confederate Wounded

Description

1863 Letter from a Union Wardmaster Unhappy about Caring for Confederate Wounded
1863 Letter from a Union Wardmaster Unhappy about Caring for Confederate Wounded
Click images to enlarge
Description
1863 Letter from a Union Wardmaster Unhappy about Caring for Confederate Wounded
“It is not the pleasantest occupation to be waiting uppon those men that have caused our country for to bleed. . ..  We have 3,000 rebs on the island [and] my ward is filled up."
Letter from one Union wardmaster, Bernard McGrann, to another expressing his dissatisfaction with having to care for Confederate soldiers who were wounded at Gettysburg.  Davids Island, Long Island, New York: De Camp General Hospital, August, 1863.
This three-page letter was sent from a wardmaster at De Camp General Hospital on Long Island to a wardmaster at the U.S. General Hospital at Fort Schuyler, New York. It is enclosed in an envelope that was probably ‘favor carried’ as it bears no manuscript franking, stamps, or postal markings. Both are in nice shape. A transcript will be provided.
The U.S. War Department established De Camp General hospital in 1862, and by the end of the year, it was the Army’s largest medical facility with a patient census of more than 2,000 Union soldiers. Following the Union victory at Gettysburg in July of 1863, over 2,500 more wounded Confederates were evacuated to the De Camp hospital for care. Most of the Southerners had recovered enough that by fall, they were transferred to prisoner of war camps.
In this letter, a Union wardmaster (a senior non-commissioned medical officer in charge of a ward) expresses both his reverent patriotism and distaste for caring for the Confederates. It reads in part:
“It is not the pleasantest occupation to be in waiting uppon those men that have caused our Country for to bleed. But there will come a day of gladness when the people of the Lord shall look personally on their banner which his mercy has restored I may live to see it when the patriot work is done and your heart so full of kindness will remember an old friend or through tears your eyes may see it with a sadly thoughtful view and may love it still more dearly for the cost it was you. We have three thousand rebs on the Island at present and expect to have two thousand more soon. . ..”
Following the war, Davids Island was converted to a major recruitment center and eventually a Coastal Artillery post named Fort Slocum in honor of General Henry Warner Slocum, whose commands played decisive roles at Gettysburg, in Sherman’s March to the Sea, and during the Carolinas Campaign. During World War One, Fort Slocum became the principal recruitment and assembly center for doughboys heading to Europe. Following that war is served at various times as an Army Air Force Base, a Nike Missile site, and the Army’s Chaplain’s School until it closed in the mid-1960s.
(For more information, see “The Army’s Century on Davids Island” at the Westchester County Archives, online.)
A scarce account from a Union wardmaster who grudgingly provided hospitalization for Confederate soldiers wounded at the Battle of Gettysburg. At the time of listing, the Rare Book Hub shows no auction sales of similar letters; neither does OCLC show any similar letters are held by institutions, however, a pass issued by the hospital is held by the New York Historical Society, and Gettysburg College holds a letter related to the hospitalization of Confederates at facilities near the battlefield. Nothing similar is for sale in the trade although a letter releasing a physician from his contract to care for patients (including Confederates) at the Camp Letterman Hospital at Gettysburg is available from one dealer.
#9747
View My Other Items For Sale
Payment
PayPal is preferred for both US and international payments.
Other methods of payment may be possible.
Shipping
Domestic Shipping.
Most orders are shipped to locations in the US at no additional cost. If not, shipping costs are set at a flat rate on an item-by-item basis.
Media mail shipping--when available and appropriate--is inexpensive but may take between two and four weeks, especially if delivery is to the west coast. If a quick delivery is important to you, please request USPS Priority Mail or some other expedited delivery service before paying.
International Shipping. International shipping is usually done through the eBay Global Shipping Program.  I know that this can be expensive, but I've switched to this method because I've had too many claims of non-receipt by international buyers.  If you contact me in advance of purchase it may be possible for me to ship directly to you.
If I ship directly, I will only ship overseas using a trackable method; this can be expensive, and it is non-negotiable.  Also, I will only enter true information on customs forms; if you  have a problem paying your nation's customs fees, that is beteen you and your government, I have nothing to do with it.
If you pay by PayPal, I will only ship to the shipping address specified by PayPal.
All shipments are covered by my business insurance at my expense, however if you would like to purchase additional USPS insurance at your expense, let me know, and I'll adjust your invoice accordingly.
Terms of Sale
Please don't assume anything that is not specifically stated or shown on this listing page.  Ask any questions before you bid or make an offer.
If you win this item, you are legally bound to complete the purchase.
Unless specifically indicated otherwise in the page, returns will be accepted for full refund less shipping for any reason if the item is returned to me within 30 days in the same condition as it was sent.
Buyers are responsible for paying all return postage costs.
About Us
This is a Read'Em Again Books & Paper sale.
In addition to a nice selection of Americana, diaries, journals, photograph albums, other unique personal narratives, and postal history, we often have a small stock of children's books, illustrated books, and unusual non-fiction as well as ephemera, prints, sheet music, maps,  postcards, and antique toys & games.
Read'Em Again Books & Paper is a member of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America (ABAA), the International League of Antiquarian Booksellers (ILAB), the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA), the National Stamp Dealers Association (NSDA), the Ephemera Society, the Manuscript Society, the American Philatelic Society (APS), the U.S. Philatelic Classics Society, and the Military Postal History Society.
We hope that you'll take some time to visit both our eBay store and our larger Read'Em Again Books & Paper online store. We think that you'll find our prices to be very competitive with other internet book and paper sellers.
View My Other Items For Sale
Get images that
make Supersized seem small.
Showcase your items with Auctiva's
Listing Templates!
THE simple solution for eBay sellers.