12mo pocket diary for 1864, 183 manuscript pp., bound in original limp leather, with flap, two days entries per page; worn at edges, entries written in pencil, in a legible hand; includes an additional 37 pp. of memoranda, notes and cash accounts at rear which includes a list of officers, soldiers, battles, etc., with remarks; ownership inscription on front flyleaf “Harvey Pease / Battery M / 1st N.Y. Artillery.”
Also included with Pease’s diary are the following 2
photographs and 8 ephemeral items:
1 -
sixth plate tintype photograph, of Pvt. Harvey U. Pease, with label “Harvey
Pease at end of Civil War,” not dated, circa 1865 (not in uniform), in
contemporary embossed thermoplastic case.
1 -
black and white photograph (2 ½” x 3”) of Enoch Pease (1794-1882), father of
Pvt. Harvey U. Pease, labeled, but not dated, circa 1860s-1882.
1 -
membership card for Harvey U. Pease for membership in Company B, Infantry of
the 66th Regiment, 29th Brigade, 8th Division,
New York State Militia, enlisted “December 12, 1857,” measures 4 ¾” x 3 ¼”.
1 -
military enlistment paper for Harvey U. Pease for three years military service,
dated Wilson, NY 9 Oct 1861, partially printed and completed in manuscript,
signed by Pease and the local Justice of the Peace, measures 7 ½” x 6 ½”.
1 -
military discharge paper for Harvey U. Pease, dated 5 February 1864, measures 8
½” x 10 ½”. He was discharged from his initial 3-year enlistment and
re-enlisted as a “veteran.”
2 -
Grand Army of the Republic cloth ribbons: 1 colored red printed “Post / Peter
A. Porter / No. 126 / G.A.R.”; the other colored blue printed “G.A.R. / Dept of
N.Y. / Delegate / Rochester”.
1 -
Grand Army of the Republic medal, “Grand Army of the Republic / 1861 / Veteran
/ 1865.”
1 -
metal pair cuff links, labeled “Grandfather Shover’s cuff links.” (Presumably
Henry Everett Shover (1812-1893), father of Pvt. Harvey U. Pease’s second wife
Margaret Rebecca “Maggie” Shover).
4 -
metal buttons, labeled “Button’s from Father’s army uniform,” presumably from
Pvt. Harvey U. Pease’s Civil War uniform.
1 -
plain metal ring, somewhat rusty, neither labeled, nor engraved.
Pvt.
Harvey U. Pease (1841-1917)
Harvey
Usher Pease was born 19 August 1841, in Wilson, Niagara County, New York, the
son of Enoch Pease (1795-1884), a farmer, and his wife Eliza Ann Douglas
(1800-1849), both born in Maine. Harvey was 18 years old when the 1860 Census
was taken and was enumerated living at home in Wilson, New York with his
parents and working on the family farm.
As a youth Pease appears to have joined
Company B, of the 66th Infantry Regiment, 29th Brigade, 8th
Division, New York State Militia. (A card in this collection shows that he
became a member on 12 December 1857; the date that the company was organized).
When the Civil War began, Harvey was prepared for military service. He served
during the Civil War as a private with Captain John D. Woodbury’s Battery M, 1st
Regiment of New York Light Artillery Volunteers. He was enrolled on 5 October
1861 to serve three years and mustered in on 19 November 1861 at Albany. Pease
was discharged from service on 5 October 1864 at Bridgeport, Alabama by reason
of re-enlisting as a veteran. On February 5, 1864, a sufficient number of the
original number of Battery M signed papers to "veteranize," and a few
days thereafter sixty-three men were mustered out of their old terms of enlistment
and mustered in for a new period of three years. Pease appears to have been one
of these men who were ‘veteranized.” He was eventually promoted to full bugler
and served till the end of the war.
Battery M was recruited principally by
Capt. Geo. W. Cothran at Rochester, Albany and Lockport, New York. It served in
and around Washington, D. C., from November, 1861; in Williams' Division, 5th
Corps, Army of Potomac, from February, 1862; in the Army, Department of
Shenandoah, from April, 1862; in the 1st Division, 2d Corps, Army of Virginia,
from June 26, 1862; in the 1st Division, I2th Corps, Army of Potomac, from
September, 1862; in the Artillery Brigade, 12th Corps, from April, 1863; in the
1st Division, 12th Corps, from November, 1863; in the 1st Division, 2Oth Corps,
from April, 1864; and in the Artillery Brigade, 20th Corps, from July, 1864. It
was honorably discharged and mustered out, commanded by Capt. Edward H.
Underbill, June 23, 1865, at Rochester.
During the course of the war, Battery M saw
action in some of the major battles and conflicts, including: Battle of
Winchester (May 1862); Battle of Cedar Mountain (Aug 1862); Second Battle of
Bull Run (Aug 1862); Battle of Antietam (Sept 1862); Battle of Chancellorsville
(May 1863); Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863); Siege of Atlanta (July-Aug 1864);
Bennett’s House (Apr 1865); amongst many others.
The diary offers much on the Atlanta
Campaign of the summer of 1864. April-Attached to Artillery, 1st Division, 20th
Army Corps. The battery was issued with six 12-pound Napoleons; May 1 to
September 8 - Atlanta Campaign; May 8-13 - Operations about Rocky Faced Ridge,
Tunnel Hill and Buzzard’s Roost Gap; May 14-15 - Battle of Resaca; May 19 –
Cassville; May 25 - New Hope Church; May 26-June 5 - Operations on line of
Pumpkin Vine Creek and battles about Dallas, New Hope Church and Allatoona
Hills; June 10-July 2 - Operations about Marietta and against Kennesaw
Mountain; June 11-14- Pine Hill; June 15-17 - Lost Mountain; June 15 - Gilgal
or Golgotha Church where the battery lost one man killed; June 17 - Muddy
Creek; June 19 - Noyes Creek; June 22 - Kolb’s Farm where the battery lost one
man killed and one mortally wounded; June 27 - Assault on Kennesaw; July 4 -
Ruff’s Station, Smyrna Camp Ground; July 5-17 - Chattahoochee River; July 19-20
- Peach Tree Creek; July 22-August 25 - Siege of Atlanta, assigned to Artillery
Brigade, 20th Army Corps, the battery lost one man killed in the works before
Atlanta; August 26-September 2 - Operations at Chattahoochee River Bridge;
September 2-November 15 - Occupation of Atlanta, Captain Woodbury resigned;
November 15-December 10 -March to the sea; December 10-21 - Siege of Savannah.
After the war, Harvey returned to Wilson,
New York, where he continued to work as a farmer. He married first Lucretia
Mitchell (1845-1873) and together they had two daughters, Ann Eliza Pease
(1870-1875) and Katie “Hattie” Pease (1871-1951). Harvey shows up on the 1875
New York State Census for 1875 living with his parents and his daughter Hattie,
his wife and first daughter having died.
After his first wife’s early death in 1873,
Harvey was married a second time to Margaret Rebecca “Maggie” Shover
(1850-1902) on 30 September 1875. She was the daughter of Henry Everett Shover
(1812-1893) and his wife Rebecca Misner (1815-1877).
The 1880 Census shows Harvey and his family
living in Wilson, however, when the 1900 Census was taken, he was now living
with his wife and children in Indiana, working a farm in Center, Marion County.
By 1900 there were four children born to Harvey and Rebecca: Charles R. Pease
(1876-1957); Emma B. Pease (1878-); Neil Hazel Pease (1880-1979); and Lafayette
F. Pease (1885-1967).
He was active in the Peter A. Porter Post
Lodge, of the G.A.R. at Wilson, New York. Pease went west to Missouri in 1889
to see about seeking a veteran’s claim, which may be how, or why, he ended up
in Indiana. Pease is mentioned in the Buffalo Evening News of 27
December 1889 as taking up a claim in Missouri and that he would soon be moving
his family there. Harvey filed for a veteran’s invalid pension in July 1891.
After relocating to Indiana, he became active in the Indianapolis G.A.R.’s
Major Robert Anderson Post, and was elected commander in 1914.
After surviving the Civil War, Harvey
suffered a fractured skull when he was run down by an automobile, he died on 4
June 1917. He was buried at Crown Hill Cemetery, Indianapolis, Marion County,
Indiana. He was listed as a retired farmer on his death certificate.
Sample Quotes from Diary:
Pease’s entries while
in camp are beyond terse, however, when engaged in battle or at the front his
entries capture the events he witnessed succinctly and crisply.
“February 6, 1864
Reenlisted for the war as
Veterans Volunteers at Bridgeport, Alabama, 3 years from today.”
“May
3, 1864
Started
at sunrise and marched in a southernly direction until four o’clock with the
entire corps and that night slept on the battle field of Chickamauga.”
“May 5, 1864
On the march toward Atlanta
very hot & dry marched until four & camped on the banks of the
Chickamauga Creek. Expect to fight on the morrow. The boys are ready, but they
dread the rise of tomorrow’s sun. We have the right of Thomas’ Army, 20th
Division.”
“May 7, 1864
Rouses up long before the
break of day and leaving our knapsacks behind, started for Dalton, found the
Rebs four miles of Dalton, but a slight skirmish with Cal. Camp near Tunnel
Hill.”
“May 8, 1864
Camp Trickum, Georgia. Army of
the Cumberland in line of battle, expecting every moment to hear the cannon of
the rebel Johnson open the fight. Occasionally a gun is heard in the distance
and then all is silent again.”
“May 9, 1864
Camp in line of battle.
Trickum pickets firing forenoon. Skirmishing all the long hot sultry day, but
no heavy fighting. Good news from the Army of the Potomac. Grant driving Lee
before him.”
“May 12, 1864
The Army of Gen. Johnson in a
tight place. Our Army in the best of spirits. Bands playing and the spring
campaign looks bright and glorious. On the march toward Atlanta, feel rather
old.”
“May 13, 1864
In line of Battle, picket
firing and heavy shooting all day.”
“May 14, 1864
Heavy fighting all day. Our
battery on the field just as the darkness put an end to the fight. Marched and
countermarched till ten o’clock at night then slept on the field.”
“May 15, 1864
Battle of Resaca
Commenced about 12 o’clock and
lasted until dark. Rebs retreated in the night for Atlanta. Skirmishing 11
days.”
“May 16, 1864
Morning after. Rebs seem to be
scarce, don’t know what’s to pay. All gone. Thomas in hot pursuit. Good news
from Meade.”
“May 17, 1864
On the march toward Atlanta.
Rebel Johnson in full retreat. In country through here looks good. Rye headed
out; crops looks well. Plenty of ham & flour.”
“May 18, 1864.
On the march towards Atlanta,
feel tip top. The Army in fine spirits. 140,000 strong, confident of success.
What more is wanted? Corn up in rows. Wheat head out in places.”
“May 19, 1864
On the march. Skirmishing with
the Johnnys all day. Our Corps in line of battle. Slept by our guns. Johnson
falling back slowly. Slept in line of battle. Picket firing all night.”
“May 25, 1864
On the march at day light
again. Reveille sounds every morn at 5 o’clock. This march is very hard on the
soldiers and I sometimes wish that I were at home, an intense longing to get
away comes over me, but hope says take courage. I endure it all with out a
murmur. Afternoon run into the Rebs. Sharp engagement.”
“May 28, 1864
Battle of Dallas. Picket
firing all day long steady heavy fighting on the right & left. Reb’s
charged on our battery, oh great Rebellion how the bullets and canister sung.
One-man Bundy wounded, one horse killed. Another long day gone.”
“May 29, 1864
On the battle field. Heavy
firing all day. Terrific night attacks. One horse killed; one-man Smith leg
broke. Battery M mowed down the Rebs with canister at a terrible rate. No sleep
for me.”
“May 30, 1864
Battle still going on. It is
amusing to see the boys duck when a bullet passes near them, but they are
getting used to it and stand up like Vets. But many a poor fellow is falling
pierced by the flying balls. One man saw a lightning bug took it for a Reb and
the whole Army fired.”
“June 23, 1864
Laid all day behind the breast
works, expecting an attack; but the Rebs showed not their heads. The ground in
front of Battery M covered with dead rebels who fell in the battle yesterday.
Loud cannonading on the left. Good news from Grant, Sherman’s A in fine spirits.”
“July 23, 1864
Before Atlanta. Skirmishing
all day, about noon Rebs advanced in line but made nothing. 24 days under fire
on this campaign. 24 days. 8th fight today.”
“July 24, 1864
Before Atlanta. 25th
day. All quite along the line. Boom boom now & then and then a shot from a
sharpshooter. About ten in the evening the whole line of artillery opened &
soon the skirmishers charged with yells backed by the whole army, bugles
sounding the charge and all.”
“July 28, 1864
Before Atlanta. Forenoon
quiet. Afternoon right wing fighting heavily. Camp kettles flew over us too I
reckon many prisoners taken deserters come in before our lines every day. Boys
feel fine while the Johnnys are despondent. 29th day.”
“July 29th, 1864
Before Atlanta. Rebel Army
rather low spirited. At least 20,000 of its h s been put hours de combat, since
we crossed the Chattahoochee. At every charge & every engagement they leave
their dead strewn thickly behind them. And now we can see the large buildings
and steeples very plainly. Our boys that are dressed in blue are slowly making
round it, soon she falls.”
“August 4, 1864
In the Trenches before
Atlanta. Boys are getting picked off very fast by sharpshooters. Yesterday
fighting on the right. In it along the lines today. Exped an attack in our
front, but were disappointed. 36th day.”
“August 10, 1864
Before Atlanta. Rain every day
&c. Heavy cannonading, sharp picket firing. Gen. Sherman made us a visit.”
“September 2, 1864
Before Atlanta. Grant holds
the Weldon R.R. 20th Corps under Major Gen. Sherman marched into
Atlanta planted the Stars & Stripes on the court house and city hall.”
“September 29, 1864
Atlanta. Appointed bugler,
commenced to practice. My hopes at last realized.”
“December 5, 1864
Onward is the word. Nothing unusual today. Road lined with niggers, wenches, dogs, cows, &c. 55 miles from the coast. Getting in the neighborhood of Johnnies, forage getting scarce.”