Civil War Diary of Frank E. Brink. January 1 – November 6, 1864.
Manuscript.
Small (2 3/4 x 4 inches) wallet-style daily diary for 1864. Entries in ink and pencil.
Price: $1500
This journal follows the young recruit and his “109th Regt. N.Y.S.V. Co. C” from his home in Tioga, NY through battlegrounds in Fredericksburg and Spottsylvania. His entries, usually of several lines, are laconic but expressive, and often funny in an understated way – “February 23 “Drilled twice oh it is fun.” Or March 6 “Lay around camp all day and read novels. It was my birthday. I was 21 years old.” They drilled at Mason’s Island outside Washington until April 26th, when they moved out to Alexandria, Fairfax, and Manassas, a hard march as his entry of April 29 suggests: “Marched to Manassas Junction and encamped. I was nearly dead”. Then to Warrenton, across the Rappahannoc on May 4, and the Rapidan on May 5 “in hearing of the guns of the enemy.” Then immediately into battle: “Dave was shot before he fired a gun. Have not heard whether he is dead.” Then back to Fredericksburg to guard a wagon train. “This is the seventh day of fighting. both armies are making a deadly struggle… many men are giving up their lives.” By the middle of May the 109th “was all cut to pieces” and rations were short. For the rest of the month the fighting devolved into a sort of trench warfare – Brink calls them pitts – punctuated by attacks and retreats, as the list of dead and wounded grew. July 2: “Taken from the pitt and sat a little further ahead. that is one way to relieve us. We lay and shot Johnies all day.” By mid-July he is ground down with fatigue and an unspecified illness: “Went to Hospital and lay around in misery all day.” July 28: “Worse if anything. Things begin to look discouraging feel pretty rough.” In August he has a remission and is back on light duty with his company. Sick again in September. Sept. 4 ” Got up bloated enough to bust and remained so all day.” Sept. 20: “Excused from duty left of writing my diary to mother. Hope the next sheet will not give account of my bloody times.” At the end of September he was sent to City Point, and on October 3 “Went on board the State of Maine at noon. At dark was fast on a sand bar.” He arrived in Washington the next day and was hospitalized. October 14: “Was not able to sit up any this seems discouraging.” Kindly people bring him goodies and wine, which he appreciates. In November he is well enough to go into Washington on furlough and try to arrange his passage home. By November 5 he is home: “Pa came down after me and (I) nearly froze before I got home. I guess the folks were glad to see me.” The diary ends November 6. Frank E. Brink died January 9, 1865. On the last leaf of the diary is a list of expenses for “govmt clothing.” With complete transcript.