TWO CIVIL WAR DIARIES & AUTOGRAPH BOOK OF COMRADES OF MAHLON HAINES, FATHER OF THE SHOE WIZARD.
Item Description
These two 1864 diaries ( a third referred to at end of Book 2 is lost) of a Union Army Civil War signal corps soldier with the Army of Tennessee are accompanied by a booklet of autographs of his 1864 comrades in arms plus a 14 page letter detailing his death by natural causes in 1885. The items come directly from the descendents of Mahlon Haines. One of these descendents was his son Mahlon Haines (renamed as such by his mother after his father died two months after his son's birth). The son, in 1905 at age 20, settled in York, Pa because the bicycle he was riding from Ohio to Washington broke down. By 1935, he owned a thriving chain of 50 shoe stores in Pa. and Md. billing himself as "Haines The Shoe Wizard" handing out business cards and advertising pocket mirrors ( now in collections across America). In 1949, he had built a unique figural structure, the work boot shaped Haines Shoe House within sight of the famous Route 30 Lincoln Highway east of York. The two diaries his father wrote during his enlisted months detail his enlistment days from Ohio, to D.C. to Nashville to Huntsville, Alabama to Keenesaw Mountain, GA, to Blackjack Mountain Ga. to Marietta Ga. to Atlanta, Ga and then, now part of Sherman's forces on the march to the sea, from Atlanta to Savannah (with Book 2 ending on route). While there are mundane entries regarding camp life, miles marched per day, and grazing horses, etc. there are many references to Rebs, skirmishes, finding trees to climb for observing the enemy, several recorded deaths of friends, details before and after the capture of Atlanta, and coming upon " one slave very nigh whipped to Death". Because of the space needed to just mention highlights of this remarkable nearly daily detailing from February 22, 1864 through December 7, 1864, please see the extensive online description for full condition and content highlight details.
In addition to the two 1864 diaries, there are two related items. One is seven sheets ( 14 neatly ink written pages, 5 x 7" with two folds) dated May 16, 1885 addressed to "My Dear Mrs. Haines Bereaved Friend" from her friend in Philadelphia where her husband had been staying on a business trip detailing "in the silent language of the pen, the sad account of his dying hours". The letter is detailed with efforts to save his life. It comes in a business envelope showing the York office building ( and image) of the son (The Shoe Wizard) who penciled on the front "Letter from Philadelphia / My fathers passing" plus initials "MNH". Light age but envelope and letter are Fine.
Second is a thin leather over cardboard covers 3-5/8" x 5-3/8" thin book with lined paper. Five sheets were neatly torn out at the back but 15 sheets ( 30 pages) remain. On page one M.H. wrote "Mahlon Haines / Book containing the/ Autographs of the Members / of the Signal Corps / of the Army of Tenn/ Taken at Louisville Ky/ Aug. 13th/65". Then follows, four to a page, numbered 1 through 94 ( plus three unnumbered at end) individually written in ink names with city and state. States included are MA, PA, OH, IL, IN, IA, NY, ME and WI. A little paper residue on the covers. Fine.
Next are the two diaries: Each about 3-3/4 x 6", the first with Ledger" on leather over cardboard covers. The interior signatures are bound but all are loose, a one unit, from the outer covers. The "2nd Book" has cardboard covers and narrow leather spine. The "2nd Book" inside front and back covers have small, neat, ink text written by a relative in Jan. 1913 giving a synopsis based on family knowledge of M. H.'s Civil War service along with some brief highlights of the events he recorded in these two diaries. All else in these diaries is in the pretty easy to read neat hand of Mahlon Haines. In our quotes of his words, the spelling is his- often phonetic and a charming feature of his terse style.
In the 1st Book, 102 pages are easy to read, 6 pages are very faint, 4 pages ( June 4-7, 1864) are missing, 2 pages are lose along the gutter. In the "2nd Book" , 72 pages are easy to read, 14 are extremely faint, 1 sheet is lose and two sheets from the end one sheet is torn out, but there is no break in the date sequence on the facing pages of Oct. 26/27, so we guess M.H. just needed a sheet of blank paper and took it from his diary. The last page of "2nd Book" refers to a "Book 3" but this has been lost over time.
CONTENTS BOOK 1 SPANNING FEBRUARY 22, 1864 THROUGH JULY 13, 1B64
Book 1, page 1, begins in "East-Richland, Ohio" and he writes: "Diary From/February 22/64/ I Mahlon Haines /Volunteer in the United/ States service for the term of/ 3 years unless sooner/discharged..."
A few days later he begins recording on a near daily basis , his life as a soldier. Entries generally run from a half to a full page per day. Rarely does one day exceed one page. He constantly provides the date and the location for each day's entry and he very frequent closes each day with his name: Mahlon Haines. His journey all documented day by day, at first via trains, takes him to Columbus the largest city closest to his home, and then on March 9 to D.C. for training via Harper's Ferry. He writes "March 11 Georgetown D.C. /This morning finds me in camp for the first time..." Entries are in Georgetown through April 27, 1864. Four of these first 34 pages have very faint ink. While there he notes he got a pass and went to see the Navy Yard followed by seeing the Capitol and the White House, but he was not impressed enough to give details. He leaves D.C. by train via Harper's Ferry ( "found things in desolated condition") headed back to Columbus and on to Cincinnati (8 pages extremely faint ink) and then on to Nashville May 2, 1864.
He describes 6 days of camp life with mention of "letters", "horses", "got hard tack". Then "dusty marshing" to Franklin, Tennessee seeing "a grate many good looking Ladies but I suppose they were all rebble ladies..." At Pulascia, TN there was an expected "skirmish" but "they thought we were too much an left". In Huntsville, AL on May 11 he notes "they are looking for Rebble Forrest" and on the 17th he sees soldiers "with muskets ready to go out to Battle against Forrest if he comes to attack Huntsville".
At Calhoon, GA on May 30th, he writes of seeing "where Sherman had quite a skirmish with the rebs-the trees were cut up pretty bad" and then later that day in Kingston seeing "tranes of ambulances Picking up the wounded ... ". The next day "there was 500 wagons past hear from the front- to Kingston for provisions for our men." During June and through the last book entry on July 13- these topics are mentioned:
6/2 " we could hear them firing all day / heard them cheer and General Hooker had taken the Brest works..." 6/9 "got close enough to rebs to make headquarters out". 6/13 "watching the rebs flagging-we can read all their messages"; 6/15 "Rebs met with heavy losses"; 6/16 "detailed to forage"; 6/17 "rebs made an attack on one of our batteries...; 6/22 "rebs shelling our boys (Note-page has 1" ink blotch) close to our station- but they pass over our heads"; 6/25 "some firing on top of Keenesaw Mountain" ; 6/27 titled "H D Quarters 16 Army Corps" (Note: this was under General Dodge)"I am out on a station...the rebs cross fired...we lost 500 men...5 had limbs amputated. Wounded still coming in"
July 2 "Got permission to go to the 15th Ohio Redg. - they were in advance line next to the rebs so had to keep close to the ground but one of the boys raised up when I was there and got shot in the breast."
July 3 "On the top of Kennesaw Mt. / ...rebs left at daylight... we could see a company of reb Cavelry going to Merryatta"; July 4 M.H. goes to 43rd Ohio to see a friend "but-he was Dead, he dyed at Chattanooga...As I am cook today will try and get some dinner but it will not be as good as some persons at home will eat on the 4th of July".
July 5 "Close to the Lines- large fire... the Rebs were burning cribs of corn. " ; July 9 "Orders to move to Merriatta"; July 10 .."went out 2 miles into the country (hunting blackberries) to a house but know person there but some Darkeys. Took up 2 Spyes but they turned out to be our men with Reb uniforms on" July 11 "Rosville... took my horse and watered him in the Chattahouch (Chattahoochee) River- our men are all across but they are building a bridge to take the artillery over". July 12 "Black Jack Mount Ga- I am this morning on the Mt. communicating with the River and the Kennesaw Mt." ; July 13 "This is the end of this Book " Then M.H. takes account: "Letters Sent 72 / Letters Received 49 /Drawed from Government $29.77".
CONTENT BOOK 2 PAGE 1 READS: "The 2nd Book of/ Mahlon Haines / Diary from July 14/64 / Thursday July 14/64/ Blackjack Mt Ga/ As I have finished my first book I /will take the 2nd and / and give you some/ thing more Which I/ hope may interest all/ that may read it. / A short account of my travels while/ in the Army/ Mahlon Haines"
This book begins July 14, 1864 on Black Jack Mountain, Ga. and ends December 7, 1864 a bit east of Irwinton, Ga on the way from Atlanta to Savannah. M.H. after Atlanta was with General John A. Logan in the 15th & 17th Army Corps of the Army of Tennessee before joining General Sherman on his march to the sea. Book 2 from July 14 Black Jack Mt. to Decatur to near Atlanta is well detailed with 10 easy to read pages. Then it seems M.H. got a new but bad batch of ink that was inferior as there are 36 pages ( 18 sheets of paper) that are very light in tone but only about 12 of these are so light as to be very hard to see the words, although these could with difficulty to transcribed with time and effort. With close viewing and good light the ink becomes quite legible Monday August 8 through September 26, and then becomes bold and easy to read September 27 through the last page December 6. Some highlights are:
8/11 "Near Atlanta Ga. / There was a battery in front of us kept up shooting all night... I am on Station There is heavy skirmishing all along the line."
8/12 "I went over to HD Quarters to get my horse shod but they have know shoes".
8/19 "General Dodge while riding along the line was wounded through the head. I think not dangerously. General (Note- appears to be) Rannstrum takes command."
8/23 "Near Atlanta Ga/ The news is that Gen Killpatrick has cut the Maken ( Note: Macon) R Road".
8/26 Got breakfast & the Rebs sheld us so we had to move camp a short distance".
8/31 "Near the Maken R Road / ...went out with the Capt. to hunt a tree of observation"
9/2 NOTE DAY ATLANTA SURRENDERS M.H. WRITES "We went to a tree where we could see the Rebs moving on the Right. So we went back to camp & they had moved out. The rebs had evacuated" (NOTE followed by a few lines unreadable as too faint)
9/3 "On the Maken R Road / The news are that Atlanta is taken and the Rebs Blow up all their magazines & 80 car loads of ammunition. I am Corporal of the guard & it is raining hard all day so i will fix for bed."
(Note: some quiet "nothing special" days in camp follow)
9/21 "There is 5 boys going to Atlanta with the Q Master. They are going to establish a Signal camp for the Army of Tenn."
9/23 THROUGH OCT 9 DESCRIBES CAMP LIFE IN ATLANTA
Oct. 10 "The news is now that Richmond is taken but I do not know how true it is. The boys are all cheering all over town".
Note- more camp life descriptions and "foredgering" and "nights are getting very frosty".
Nov. 1 "We have orders to pack up and be ready to move at any moment but I do not know where we are going"
Nov 13 "Atlanta Ga / After inspection was over Morrison and I went all over town. They were burning the depot".
Nov. 14 "This morning... the men were tareing up the Railroad & burning the Depot. We moved 2 miles out of town so as to start with the 13 Army Corps"
Nov. 15 "We started this morning on the Campain. We had not gone far until we run into a Reb picket poast But we shot them out of that on double quick with but the loss of a man. Encamped 16 miles from Atlanta"
"Novm 16th Wednesday/ Hd Quarters 16th A.C. / Started this morning at 6 o'clock & when we got with in a short distance of McDonal the Rebs opened on us. / The General ordered our Lieut. with his Men to the Left Flank & charge the town which we did but could not overtake the Rebs. But while the Lieut. Haner & my self were on picket we seen one cross the Road. We ordered him to Halt but he dismounted and took for the Booshes & By being so Close to him we captured Him / From there we charged out the Road some 2 1/2 miles But they was all gone So we stopped & got our Dinners and went back to where they were Camping. Come 13 miles today and got pleanty of Chickens & Sweet Potatous"
Dec 2 "We started down the River (Note: Ogehee) But will not cross here. We come 9 miles today & Found one slave very nigh whipped to Death".
Dec. 7 "Raining - some skirmishing across the River. Come 10 miles today. The End of this Book But Turn to the next Book No 3"
(Note: which is lost to time).
Wonderful 1st person accounts covering 11 months of 1864.
