March 15-17, 2022 Collectible Firearms & Militaria
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 3/15/2022
Civil War pocket diary of Harvey R. Mason with transcription and collector notes. "Diary and Memorandum for 1862" published in New York. Mason's name in pencil on flyleaf with January 1, 1862 date. Diary covers January 7 through June 27, 1862 with daily entries of 3 or 4 lines. Mason shows up in some records as Harry. Born about 1840, worked on father's farm in Conneaut, Crawford Co., PA. Enlisted 8/27/1861 at Erie, Company H 83rd Pennsylvania. The unit saw action at Hanover Court House, 5/27/61; Seven Days Battles at Gaines Mill, 6/27 and Malvern Hill, 7/1/62. Diary is largely legible pencil, with some ink entries and a few rubbed pencil. Some entries regarded as illegible by by transcriber can be made out in the right light. January to February many target practice and drill notations. March and April beginning of Peninsula Campaign. Reference to Prof. Lowe's balloon going up, reference to Battle at Hampton in May, picket duty, etc., in June until June 26 when he records "fighting on the right" and receipt of "marching orders: we marched around til night and laid down." His last entry is June 27: "fair. Got up and marched back part way." This reflects the opening of the Seven Days Battles as Jackson hit the Union right where Mason's regiment was posted and the 5th Corps fought to hold him back as the army withdrew, the 83rd carrying 550 men into action at Gaines Mill and losing 265 in killed, wounded and prisoners. At Malvern Hill, the last of the Seven Days Battles, they lost another 150 men, and could muster only 80 in the ranks when the army finally came to rest at Harrison's Landing. Mason died in the campaign, though records are still contradictory on his fate, some listing him as killed at Gaines Mill, others at Malvern Hill, and one listing him as dying on July 14 at Fortress Monroe. The remainder of the diary has scattered notations by someone else, having been reused for accounting notes, etc. CONDITION: Very good. Wear to enameled cloth covers, but intact and tight. First page missing. Diary starts with entry on page for January 7, 1862, after title page and three pages of calendar, list of Sundays, and postal rate chart. A touching memento of a life cut short and interesting relic of a very active unit in the Army of the Potomac whose ultimate casualty rate placed it second among infantry regiments in the war for battle fatalities.