1889 - A former Confederate prisoner-of-war who enlisted in the Union Army as a 'Galvanized Yankee," and fought against Native Americans in the Northwest during the Civil War files for an increase to his military pension

Washington, DC to Caeser, North Carolina, 1889. Envelope or Cover. Very good. This grouping consists of three items:

A letter written to John H. Peeler at Caeser, North Carolina dated January 3rd, 1889, from H. S. Berlin, a "Solicitor of Claims" in Washington, DC, in reply from Peeler to submit a request for an increased military pension for his service as a private in Company B, 1st Regiment, U. S. [Veteran Volunteer] Infantry. In nice shape. In it, Berlin requests:

"Furnish me with a certificate of a physician under oath, showing that you are physically unable to report for examination at Anderson. Have the physician state, as Mr Hull has, that the distance to and the difficulty in reaching Anderson. Furnish me with this at once and I will get an order for your Examination at your home."

The original mailing envelope in which the above letter was sent. It bears a 2-cent green Washington stamp (Scott #213) postmarked at Washington, DC on the same day the letter was written. Roughly opened along the right edge. The front of the envelope touts Berlin's specialties including,

"Increase Claims - Many soldiers were rated too low originally, in other cases the disability has increased from year to year. Thousands are entitled to an Increase of pension under more liberal rulings."

An official envelope from the U.S. Pension Agency at Knoxville, Tennessee postmarked July 24, 1889, addressed to Peeler that forwarded him the application that needed to be returned before his pension could be increased. No contents, however, it is annotated, "Blank for pension / Sarah Lowry". It is unclear if Ms. Lowry was related, however, Peeler had a half-sister named Sarah. Roughly opened along the left edge.

. In 1863, President Lincoln, facing multiple military dilemmas (e.g., desertions were ever increasing, recruitment had all but petered out, more and more men were resisting the draft, and the army drastically needed forces to garrison the northwest and protect wagon trains and steamboat traffic) authorized the enlistment of Confederate prisoners-of-war into the Union army. So, in 1864, the 1st Regiment of U.S. Veteran Volunteer Infantry was formed at Camp Lookout, Maryland in 1864 after the men had signed loyalty oaths. The regiment was intended to fight on the front lines in Virginia, however after General Grant expressed misgivings, its mission changed. Instead, the regiment sent to Fort Rice in the Dakota Territory and charged with finishing the construction of the fort, keeping the Sioux at bay, fostering better relations with all the Plains tribes, preventing illegal and unethical Indian trade, and aiding emigrants on their journey west. The 600 soldiers arrived at Fort Rice on the Missouri River in October and completed much of the construction during an especially cold mid-winter as temperatures hovered between -29 and -34 degrees below zero; 11% percent of the command died from the cold or scurvy. The next spring the regiment successfully defended themselves and the fort against overwhelming odds during attacks by the Sioux and Cheyenne allies, often in brutal hand-to-hand combat. They also cracked down on illicit Indian Agency trade and began searching every riverboat, confiscating liquor, firearms, and ammunition. Additionally, realizing that many of those traveling upriver were up to no good, the regiment confiscated firearms and ammunition from over five hundred passengers suspected of being rebels, draft dodgers, or deserters and forced them to provide personal information for later verification. As well, the fort, aided emigrants needing assistance, rescued at least one white girl who had been kidnapped and enslaved by Cheyenne, and served as a resupply point for wagon trains and riverboats. The regiment was not mustered out of service until November 27, 1865, and most men chose to return to their homes in the South.

Peeler served in both the North Carolina 34th and 55th Infantry regiments. He was most likely captured at the Battle of Gettysburg as he was first imprisoned in early July of 1863. Copies of extracts from some of Peeler's military records and regimental documents will be included. At one point during the Volunteer Veteran's service at Fort Rice, Peeler's company was deployed further west through especially dangerous territory to garrison the Fort Union Trading Post at the mouth of the Yellowstone River.

"Galvanized Yankees" was an insult coined by Southerners for Confederates who 'galvanized' their bodies with blue Yankee uniforms.

Fort Rice became the most important military installation during the accelerating western expansion immediately following the Civil War. It was the main link between the Sioux Nation and the United States and hosted several meetings and treaty signings. Military and exploratory expeditions were launched from the fort, and its garrison served as a haven while defending emigrants, travelers, and railway personnel from attacks and ambushes.

(For more information, see Butts's "Trading Gray for Blue: Ex-Confederates Hold the Upper Missouri for the Union" at the National Archives website, "First U. S. Volunteer Infantry" records at the online American Civil War Research Database, and online genealogical records about Peeler.)

Few original source items regarding the 1st U. S. Volunteer Veterans Infantry Regiment remain today. At the time of listing, none were for sale in the trade. The Rare Book Hub shows only one related item that has been sold at auction, a letter sent from Virginia before the regiment deployed to the Dakota Territory. OCLC shows only one Galvanized Yankee item is held by an institution, a journal kept by a member of 2nd Volunteer Veterans Regiment who was stationed at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Unfortunately, this lot does not include any details regarding the regiment's actions in the Dakota Territory, but then, there are no extant items that do. Still this small group of items is a rare testament to a little-known aspect of the Civil War.

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