The diary of a young officer of the 42nd U.S.C.T. sheds light on obscure regiment
Chambersburg PA- African American troops made up only 6% of
the total troops who fought in the Civil War making accounts of their units
scarce, but Gateway Gallery Auction hopes to change that by selling the Civil
War Diary of First Lieutenant Adoniram Judson Hastings of the 42nd
U.S.C.T. on October 22, 2012.
The diary of Hastings recounts the closing events of the
Civil War including the fall of Richmond, Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, the
assassination of President Lincoln, and the shooting of John Wilkes Booth.
“This diary gives us an insight
into the everyday life of the unit as well as how people were feeling about the
events of the time. By 1865 many folks were weary and ready for the war to end,
this diary reflects that. This unit, stationed
outside Chattanooga, was in a perfect position to watch the fall of the
Confederacy.” Lee Kalfon, Assistant
Auction Coordinator and researcher at Gateway Gallery Auction said.
The diary also tells of the daily activities of the regiment
made up of African American troops and includes descriptions of meetings among
the enlisted men.
“This was an obscure unit formed late in the
war, It is rare to find primary source information on any African American
unit, but since the 42nd wasn’t formed until 1864 and performed
mostly garrison duty most of their stories have been lost to time.” Kalfon continued.
In addition to the Civil war
diary, Gateway’s October 22nd
auction will also feature vintage items, clocks, toy tractors, furniture and
more. Gateway Gallery Auction holds bi-weekly estate auctions as well as
specialty collection auctions. For more information visit www.GatewayAuction.com or call (717) 263-6512.