UNION SOLDIER'S SCRAPBOOKS FROM OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS
Pair of scrapbooks assembled by Lt. Theodore R. ...

UNION SOLDIER'S SCRAPBOOKS FROM OCCUPIED NEW ORLEANS
Pair of scrapbooks assembled by Lt. Theodore R. Skinner, a 19 year-old student who enlisted with the 30th Massachusetts Infantry as a drummer in November, 1861 and served until July, 1866, mostly in occupation duty in New Orleans. While there, his regiment lost 341 men to disease alone! The two scrapbooks are each 14 x 9.5 in. and about 100pp. each, covering the period of approx. September, 1862 to December, 1864. The great majority of the contents, by far, are war-related clippings from newspapers in (largely) New Orleans, Boston, and a few points in between, along with several documents, currency, printings, etc. Of great interest is a U.S. Sequestration Committee order instructing slaves to return to their plantations to work, for which the land owner is obliged to pay them 1/20th of the year's crop or a monthly salary of $1.00 to $3.00, depending on their skills. Amazingly, the document, which is to be signed by the landowner, concludes: '...acceptance of this contract does not imply the surrender of any right of property in the slave...' WITH: a May 26, 1863 pass through the lines at Baton Rouge, issued to Skinner; calling card of Ladislas Zulavsky, commander of the 82nd United States Colored Infantry; an 1859 draft on bankers Benoist, Shaw & Co.; rose CSA $5.00 note, Dec. 2, 1862; and several general orders, including the discharge of a colonel for cowardice, an order establishing schools for black children, banning whippings, and setting land aside for ex-slaves to cultivate, voting and the administration of the oath of allegiance, disrespect shown naval officers by army sentries, and an amazing 1866 general order in which a New Orleans civilian is charged with sedition and an attempt to cause a riot when he publicly sand 'The Bonnie Blue Flag' and cheered Jefferson Davis. The crowd erupted and attacked Union soldiers with clubs. The miscreant is sentenced to two years of hard labor in the Dry Tortugas. The balance of the albums is comprised of several hundred newspaper clippings, some quite rare including the Confederate Vicksburg Whig's report on the sinking of a Union gunboat, The Era (New Orleans), The Daily Evening Traveller (Boston), True Delta (New Orleans), The Boston Journal, The Daily Mississippian (Confederate, Jackson), New York Herald, Boston Evening Transcript, and others. Rich in period content, covering many of the major battles, predominantly those in the deep South and Sherman's March to the Sea. Three of four covers present and detached, contents toned slightly from glue show-through but entirely and easily read, overall very good.