Beschreibung:

Lot of nine, including five soldier CDVs that are positively identified, plus another tentative. Lot further includes two older civilian men with questionable military pedigree and a photograph of pleasant young woman named Miss M.E.L. (illegible) Grover, given to a Sergeant Smith of Company H., 9th Maine. 9th Maine Infantry The 9th Maine Infantry was organized at Augusta and mustered in September 22, 1861. It proceeded to Washington and briefly served in the Washington Defenses before joining the expedition to Port Royal, SC, attached to the Department of the South. The 9th Maine participated in a number of minor combined operations resulting in the capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard and later occupied Fernandina, FL. The regiment then shifted to operations at Charleston arriving at Hilton Head in January 1863, assigned to the 10th Corps. The Maine regiment joined in the attack on Morris Island on July 10, 1863, followed by the brutal but unsuccessful assaults on Fort Wagner on July 11 and 18, which cost the 9th Maine 119 casualties. Grueling siege operations then commenced before Forts Wagner and Gregg were finally overwhelmed on September 7, 1863. The rest of the year was relatively quiet as the regiment performed garrison duty and veteranized in February 1864. In April 1864, the 9th Maine joined its parent 10th Corps attached to the Army of the James that formed the southern component of Grant’s Overland Campaign. During intensive operations under Butler during the May-June period, the regiment was heavily engaged at Drewry’s Bluff, Bermuda Hundred, and Cold Harbor, suffering 160 men killed, wounded, and missing. The month of July claimed another 40 casualties mostly in the sustained fighting at Petersburg, Deep Bottom, and Fort Gilmer, including the terrible Mine Explosion on July 30th. The men of the 9th then went into the trenches during the indolent siege and emerged in September to lose heavily at Chaffin’s Farm on the 29th, adding 43 names to the roster of dead and wounded. A month later at Fair Oaks, the 9th Maine fought a major battle in which another 18 became casualties. The tempo slackened somewhat when the regiment was ordered to Fort Fisher and reunited with its brigade in February 1865. The 9th Maine then participated in the capture of Wilmington on February 22nd. Joining with Sherman’s Army, the regiment occupied Goldsboro on March 21st and Raleigh on April 14th. Following the surrender of Johnson’s Army, the 9th Maine remained on occupation duty until mustering out July 13, 1865. The final tally was 182 officers and enlisted men forever inscribed on the Roll of Honor. Sergeant Wm. H. Simpson by J.U.P. Burham, Portland is shown wearing a round metal ID disc. Simpson enlisted as Corporal, Co. A, 9/61; promoted Sergeant; re-enlisted as veteran 1/1/64, promoted 1st Sergeant; WIA place and date not stated; DOW 8/1/64. Young Private H.B. Runnells, Co. K, by E.H. McKenney, Biddeford, joined 1/64; WIA Fair Oaks, VA 10/27/64; DOW same day. Ink signed Private Sumner T. Varnum, by a Harrisburg, PA photographer, enlisted in Co. A, 12/63; WIA Cold Harbor 6/5/64; absent, sick in hospital 7/13/65 at m/o of regiment. A vignette of Private Loring S. Webber ink signed on verso over S. Piper, Manchester, N.H. imprint. Webber enlisted in Co. B, 9/61; re-enlisted as veteran 1/64; WIA Bermuda Hundred, VA 5/18/64; absent, sick in hospital 7/13/65 at m/o. Next is an ink signed Sergeant named Geo. H. Rice/9th Unassigned Maine Vols., with blue-green three-cent revenue stamp. HDS lists this NCO as a late war member of the “9th Co. ME Unassigned Infantry” who m/o 9/5/65. The last view is a seated Corporal tentatively identified as Orlando Sawtelle by Wm. F. Blunt, North Anson. Sawtelle joined as Private 9/61; promoted Corporal (1863); WIA Ft. Wagner, SC 7/10/63; re-enlisted 1/1/64; promoted Sergeant; reported missing 8/16/64 at Weldon Railroad; absent 7/13/65 at m/o. Provenance: The Tom MacDonald Maine Civil War CDV Collection Con