Beschreibung:

CIVIL WAR, UNION ARMY, BLACK TROOPS]. WAGNER, Colonel GEORGE E. An extensive archive relating to his war service as officer of the Eighth Regiment of U.S. Colored Troops (mustered at Camp William Penn, near Philadelphia), comprising about 65 pieces including: WAGNER, GEORGE E.?] AUTOGRAPH MANUSCRIPT, "ACCOUNT OF THE SERVICES OF THE EIGHTH REGT. U.S. COLORED TROOPS. BY ONE WHO SERVED AS AN OFFICER...FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO ITS DISBANDMENT," 37 PAGES, FOLIO, INK, COMPRISING A METICULOUS ACCOUNT OF THE ENLISTMENT, TRAINING AND FIELD ACTIONS OF THE REGIMENT (INCLUDING THE ASSAULT ON FORT OLUSTEE, NEAR JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, 20 FEBRUARY 1864, IN WHICH WAGNER WAS BREVETED FOR GALLANTRY, BERMUDA HUNDRED, PETERSBURG, AND NEW MARKET HEIGHTS, 20-30 SEPTEMBER 1864) FROM SEPTEMBER 1863 TO DECEMBER 1865 -- MANUSCRIPT, ENTITLED "EIGHTH REGIMENT U.S. COLORED TROOPS," 12 PAGES, FOLIO, IN PENCIL -- 8 PRINTED COMMISSIONS (TWO SIGNED BY GEN. BENJAMIN F. BUTLER, TWO BY SEC. OF WAR E.M. STANTON, ONE WITH ANDREW JOHNSON STAMPED SIGNATURE) -- 23 LETTERS, DOCUMENTS, SPECIAL ORDERS AND MEDICAL CERTIFICATES (INCLUDING ONE ALS OF GEN. WILLIAM BIRNEY), RELATING TO WAGNER'S SERVICE, PROMOTION AND DISCHARGE, TOGETHER APPROXIMATELY 30 PAGES, 4TO ; 8 ALS OF WAGNER TO A PHILADELPHIA FRIEND, 1861-1864, TOGETHER 38 PAGES, 8VO AND 4TO, WÿRITTEN FROM THE FIEL -- 25 "MONTHLY RETURNS," OF QUARTERMASTER'S STORES, ACCOMPLISHED BY WAGNER, APPROXIMATELY 75 PAGES, 4TO AND FOLIO, 1861-1864. (A QUANTITY) BLACK REGIMENT, WHITE OFFICER A very unusual archive . Wagner, a Philadelphian, originally an officer of the 88th Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, was specially recruited to command the 8th U.S. Colored Troops. Wagner was wounded in action and breveted for gallantry at Olustee, Florida and in the battle of New Market Heights. In the two manuscript accounts of the regiment's war service, he notes that it "entered into active service immediately" after its organization, "losing over half its officers and men," and in the course of the war it "lost more men...than any other Colored Regiment...."