Burns March Military Auction
Lot 141:
Description
Civil War 140th New York Volunteers ephemera lot that includes the June 1865 discharge document for Eugene Shedd, who was born at Reading, N.Y. and enlisted at Chili, New York as a Sergeant on 8/21/1862. He was wounded at Laurel Hill, Virginia on 5/9/1864 and discharged as a 1st lieutenant at Alexandria, Virginia on 6/3/1865. The discharge is signed by the regimental commander Lieutenant Colonel William S. Grantsyne who is the subject of the second document in this lot; General Orders No. 33 which deals with Grantsyne’s court martial at Beverly Ford, Virginia on August 25, 1863. Grantsyne, who was Captain of Co. H at the time of his court martial, was charged with noting on his morning report that musician Shadrack Jackson was absent with leave when in fact he was absent without leave. Grantsyne was found guilty of the charge and was sentenced “To be cashiered” – a sentence that was obviously never carried out as Grantsyne would go on to be promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 1/24/65 of the 140th NYV and then to Colonel the next day. Grantsyne was mustered out on 6/3/1865, the same day that he signed Lieutenant Shedd’s discharge. The 140th New York is perhaps best known for the roll it played in the July 2, 1863 Defense of Little Round Top during the Battle of Gettysburg. During this battle, the regiment suffered 133 casualties including the death of Colonel Patrick O’Rorke. The heaviest losses the 140th New York would incur in a single battle occurred during severe fighting in the Battle of the Wilderness. The 529 soldiers of the 140th NY led the opening of the battle with a charge across Saunders Field, and were among the first Union troops to engage the Confederacy in battle. The 140th took unsupported flank fire for over 30 minutes and sustained 255 total casualties. Captain Grantsyne was wounded a few weeks later at the Battle of Totopotomoy. Records indicate that the 140th New York State Volunteers sustained 736 battle casualties during the Civil War including 140 men killed or mortally wounded, 317 wounded and 282 captured or missing. Of the captured, its estimated that 77 died in Confederate prison camps including Andersonville. Pick up is Sunday, March 29 from 10 am to 4 pm at our gallery in Lancaster, Ohio 43130 or we will provide in-house shipping for this item. We will charge a $5 fee if you want to pick this lot up another day. Once packed up we will send you an invoice for shipping & handling. Shipping questions: [email protected]. Sales tax is collected on this auction. TL4
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