1864 Union Officer’s Letter from Lt. Thomas J. Gregg to his Brother

Description

1864 Union Officer’s Letter from Lt. Thomas J. Gregg to his Brother
Offered for your consideration is a manuscript letter penned by an aide-de-camp and brother to a Union cavalry general, to another brother who was recently released from Libby Prison, a well-known Confederate prisoner of war facility. The letter was written by Thomas J. Gregg from “
HeadQuart 2
nd
Div C. C.
” (HeadQuarters 2
nd
Division Cavalry Corps) stationed at “
Warrenton
” (Virginia) on “
Jany 24
th
1864
” and is addressed “
Dear Harry
” (his brother, Henry Harrison Gregg). He states (in part) that, “
Your telegram was received You may perhaps wish to have your valise sent on if so let me know & I will forward it by express
…”. He further notes that “
I intended to be in Washington by this time, as Dave intended me to meet his wife
…
unfortunately he received orders to report at Corps HeadQuart
…
will command the corps for twenty days in Genl Plesantons absence
…
let me know what time you expect to be in Philadel and I will if possible meet you there. Your horse is in fine condition. Love to all at home
”. He closes, “
Your Affect Brother
/
T. J. Gregg
/
Lt & A.D.C.
”. An additional sentence can be found on the back, asking “
By what means were you paroled
”.
It is interesting to have three members of a given family mentioned in the same letter, especially when one of them is a brigadier general (David McMurtrie Gregg). At the time this letter was written, the author was serving on the staff of his older, and more famous, brother (the recipient was actually older as well, though certainly not more famous). A nice letter from this fighting Union family. Worthy of further research.
Thomas Jackson Gregg
was born on October 8, 1842 in Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He was mustered in as a corporal in Company C, 125
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on August 11, 1862, serving until discharged in November, that same year, to accept a promotion as 2
nd
lieutenant in Company F, 6
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, also known as “Rush’s Lancers” (he apparently saw action with the 125
th
Pennsylvania in the West Woods during the battle of Antietam). He subsequently led his company during Stoneman’s Raid, part of the Chancellorsville Campaign. Prior to the opening of the Gettysburg Campaign, Gregg was transferred to the staff of his brother, David McMurtrie Gregg. He was wounded in the cavalry action at Aldie on June 17, 1863, though he rapidly returned to action, participating in all of the division’s actions through the siege of Petersburg. In October, 1864, Gregg was advanced to captain of Company G, 8
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, a position he would retain until the close of the war. He remained in the service until November, 1868 as a member of the 16
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry and the 2
nd
United States Cavalry (he would be brevetted captain and major for actions during the war). Thomas Jackson Gregg died on December 31, 1900 in Port Hueneme, Ventura County, California and was subsequently buried in the Allegheny Cemetery in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Henry Harrison Gregg was born on March 19, 1840, also in Bellefonte, Centre County, Pennsylvania. He was mustered in as captain in Company H, 125
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on August 16, 1862, serving until mustered out on May 18, 1863. During this time, he apparently saw action at the battles of Antietam and Chancellorsville. On August 25, 1863, Gregg was mustered in as captain of Company B, 13
th
Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, serving with that unit until discharged by special order on April 5, 1865 (he would be promoted to major and be discharged as a brevet lieutenant colonel). During his service, Gregg was captured twice, being held at both Libby and Andersonville prisons. Henry Harrison Gregg died on June 21, 1917 in Joplin, Missouri and was subsequently buried in the Mount Hope Cemetery in Webb City, Missouri.
The presently offered letter exhibits signs of expected period use, followed by years of less than ideal storage. Toning is noted across the entire surface, imparting to the paper beige to light tan appearance. This toning is slightly darker at the edges and along the folds, affecting some of the text in those areas. The contrast is somewhat light, though whether this is due to fading or poor ink uptake is not known to the seller (with diligence, all of the text can be read, though poor penmanship does not help the transcription of the piece). The aforementioned folds have adversely affected the integrity of the paper causing several small areas of loss at the edges and junctures (since the letter is uniface, archival tape could be applied to the back to restore some of its strength). Three of the edges are straight, while the fourth (the left) appears ragged, as if torn from ledger of some type. This piece appears to have been mounted in an album at some time, as some residue from the mounting is still present on the back. Measuring approximately 7¾ x 9⅞ inches, this piece would look great framed with period portraits of the principals involved.
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Buy or Bid with Confidence – American Coins & Collectibles President Richie Self has worked 6 years as a paper money grader/authenticator. He has contributed to numerous reference books within the industry, as well as being a co-author of “The Comprehensive Catalog and History of Confederate Bonds, 2
nd
Edition” with Douglas B. Ball, Ph.D., Henry F. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D. and James R. Desabaye. Mr. Self is a life member of the American Numismatic Association, the Society of Paper Money Collectors, as well as numerous regional numismatic associations. He is an authorized submitter to NGC, PCGS, and PMG, a diamond founding member of Coin Dealers Helping Coin Dealers and a supporter of the Industry Council for Tangible Assets. American Coins and Collectibles can be found at many of the state and local coin shows.
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