Dated “Headquarters 2^nd Brigade, 9^th Army Corps Sunday P.M. Sept. 20 (1863).” Addressed to Lieut. John M. Deane (Medal of Honor recipient for bravery at Ft. Stedman, VA, 3/25/1865). 4 pp. in ink on unlined paper, 7.5 x 9.5”. Exhibits fold-marks, else VG.

Ebenezer W. Pierce was a resident of Freetown, MA, a 42 year-old “Gentleman” who was commissioned as Colonel of the 29^th Mass. Infantry, 12/31/1861. Wounded at White Oak Swamp, VA, 6/30/1862, he was discharged for disability, 11/8/1864. His regiment served primarily with the 9^th Corps and participated in many of the major battles of the Army of the Potomac, including Antietam, where it served with the Irish Brigade. Also seeing engaged in the West at the Siege of Vicksburg and with Gen. Burnside during the 1863 Tullahoma Campaign. During the war the 29^th Mass. lost 57 killed and mortally wounded and 99 by disease for a total of 156.

The recipient of this letter, John Milton Deane, was a 24 year-old teacher from Freetown, MA, who was initially commissioned into the 3^rd MA Infantry Militia, 4/3/1861, and mustered out 7/22/1863. Encouraged by Colonel Pierce, he accepted a commission into the 29^th MA Infantry, receiving promotions to 1st Lieut., Captain, and Major (5/15/1865), and awarded the medal of Honor for bravery at Ft. Stedman, VA.(3/25/ 1865.

“Aint here a pretty kettle of fish if the facts should get into the newspapers at home?”

In this fascinating latter, Colonel Ebenezer, then commanding the 2^nd Brigade, 1^st Division, 9^th Army Corps, informs Lieut. Deane of of the several shenanigans of a scoundrelly Dr. Coggeswell. Excerpts as follow:

“…Today at about 10 o’clock in the forenoon we passed through Cumber Gap and passed a stone post that marks the southwest corner of Virginia and the southeast corner of Kentucky and also the north line of Tennessee. I got off my horse and set one foot in Kentucky and the other in Tennessee and then reaching down with my hand touched Virginia. Colonel Christ got back some days ago, but still I am kept in command of the brigade. Brooks paper came back from general F. with orders to prefer charges against Captain Brooks at once. Two very disgraceful affairs in Coggswell’s conduct have recently leaked out and he is terribly afraid that I will make use of them and court martial him He has been and begged me to forgive him for the wrong he says that he has done me. Here are the facts. A soldier of Wilson’s company was too feeble to do duty in the company and he was detailed as an attendant or nurse in the hospital. Dr. Coggeswell hired of this soldier 80 dollars and then got mad with the soldier and sent him back to his company.

The soldier soon became so unwell that he was sent to the hospital and there he died. But just before he died he told another soldier of Captain Wilson’s company that Dr. Coggeswell still owed him this note of 80 dollars. But the soldier to whom he told this was left behind sick and Coggeswell therefore thought that it was not know in the regiment.

So when Captain Wilson asked the Dr. to turn over to him the effects of the deceased soldier, he turned out one blanket and some pairs of stocking and told Captain Wilson that was all the soldier left. Wilson got an inkling somehow and asked the Dr. if he did not owe that deceased soldier and the Dr. said no and stuck to it and soon after went home and went where the relatives of the soldier live, and to whom he had when at home before paid a visit. But now he kept away from them and said and did nothing about the money. The other day he came back and Captain Wilson took him about it again, and still the Dr. said he did not owe the soldier any note. But finding things getting hot he at last came out, and owned that he did owe the soldier, and still owes his estate, the sum of 80 dollars, for which he gave a note. Now we may try to excuse this as much as we can the evidence to our unbiased sense is that the Dr. robbed a corpse in his hospital.

The other case was this. The Dr. bought a mule off a soldier (as he says) for 25 dollars and sold it to a citizen for 75 dollars. The Dr. now says that the soldier stole the mule and hence when he bought the mule knowing it to have been stolen he committed a crime. But this is not all he set McQuillan to draft a false bill of sale of this mule, as given by Mr. Duncan of Paris and to this false bill the Dr. has acknowledged that he himself forged end the signature. Is not that going it with a vengeance. These things have not yet been made known in the regiment. The only person who I know are knowing to these sad disclosures are Captains Wilson and Clark, Lieutenant Pizer and Sergeant McQuillan.

But there is already a complaint started from another quarter. I asked him about it and he acknowledged that he did try to deface the “U.S” on a marked horse. But, said he, Lieutenant Col Barnes told him to do it. He said Barnes wanted the horse but would not buy off the fellow who brought into camp to sell. So the Dr. said that he himself bought it and sold it to Barnes and then at Barnes’ request tried to obliterate the “U.S.” mark. Ain’t here a pretty kettle of fish if these facts should get into the newspapers at home?”

Fine collectible. In this letter, Col. Pierce relates humorous incidents worry of inclusion in Josh Billings “Hardtack & Coffee.” In protective sleeve, accompanied by a typewritten transcription and research info.    [JP]

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