online catalog

• What's New
• Reduced Price Items
• Artillery
• Books
• Bottles
• Buttons
• Confederate
• Contemporary Artist Prints
  • Framed Prints
  • Unframed Prints
• Currency, Bonds & Tokens
• Documents & Paper Goods
  • Art
  • Broadsides
  • Commissions
  • Discharges
  • Letters
  • Newspapers
  • Signatures
• Edged Weapons
  • Bayonets
  • Knives
  • Scabbards
  • Swords
• Firearms
  • Carbines
  • Cartridges & Gun Tools
  • Handguns
  • Holsters
  • Longarms
• Gettysburg Items
• Identified Items
  • Accoutrements
  • Edged Weapons
  • Firearms
  • Personal Items
  • Photography
  • Uniforms & Cloth
• Medical Items
• Military Accoutrements
  • Buckles/Plates
  • Canteens
  • Insignia & Badges
  • Leather
    • Belts
    • Cap & Cartridge Boxes
    • Haversacks / Knapsacks
    • Holsters
    • Scabbards
  • Spurs
• Personal Items
  • Amusements
  • Cooking
  • Jewelry
  • Personal Hygiene
  • Sewing
  • Smoking
  • Writing
• Photography
  • Albumens
  • Albums
  • Cabinet Cards
  • CDVs
    • Identified CDVs
    • Unidentified CDVs
  • Hard Images
    • Ambrotypes
    • Daguerreotypes
    • Tintypes
  • Stereoviews
• Relics
• Stock Items
  • Books
  • Clothing
  • Riker Cases
  • Shell Bases
  • Wood Display Cases
• Uniforms & Cloth
  • Flags
  • Headgear
  • Sashes & Hat Cords
  • Uniforms
• Veteran Memorabilia
  • GAR
  • UCV
• WWI / WWII
  • Equipment
  • Posters

IDENTIFIED 1st NH VOLS 1861 PRESENTED BOOK OF PSALMS WITH CARVED CASE

Zoom In Zoom Out Reset

This Book of Psalms was published in 1860 by the American Bible Society and bears a very clear, old black ink presentation on the flyleaf: “James C. Dame Co. A 1^st Regt. N.H.V. Concord NH 1861 with the best wishes of your friend –“There is some wear to the embossed brown leather cover and small stains inside, a notation pointing to Psalm 37, etc., but it is still in very good condition and shows a gilt stamped scroll on the front reading “Psalms.” This comes with a folk art or perhaps camp art storage box carved in the form of a book, with “BIBLE” in raised letters on the spine. The box is also in very good condition, with just a few small nicks or bumps, though a sliding lid for the top is missing.

Dame served in three different units during the war. He enlisted first at age 23 on 4/20/1861 at Dover, NH, and mustered in as a private in Co. A, 1^st NH, on 5/1/61, and mustered out at Concord on 8/9/61. He quickly re-enlisted, mustering into the 6^th NH on 11/28/61 as a sergeant in Co. I, serving with them until transferring to the Veteran Reserve Corps on 1/15/64, serving in Co. I of the 17^th VRC until mustering out 2/1/65 at Fort Delaware.

Dame was a machinist and resident of Dover, NH, when he first enlisted, under Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers for three months service, but the regiment rendezvoused at Concord, where they mustered in from May 1 to May 7 and seem to have remained until leaving the state May 25, likely explaining the dedication. They arrived in Washington May 28, were assigned to Stone’s brigade, did guard duty along the Potomac and in June exchanged some shots with Confederate pickets at Conrad’s Ferry. During the Bull Run Campaign, they were part of the Army of the Shenandoah under General Patterson, who failed to prevent Johnston from joining Beauregard to confront McDowell and was later replaced by Banks.

The 6^th New Hampshire saw considerably more action during Dame’s service with it. They took part in Burnsides’s expedition to North Carolina and were then assigned to the 9^th Corps in the Army of the Potomac is time to take part in the battles of Groveton,  Second Bull Run (losing 210 out of 450 officers and men in the fight,) Chantilly, South Mountain, Antietam, and Fredericksburg. In March 1863 they joined the Department of the Ohio for Burnside’s contemplated campaign in east Tennessee, and then transferred to the Army of the Tennessee for Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign, eventually taking part in the siege of Vicksburg and the advance on Jackson, Miss. They did garrison and provost guard duty in Kentucky in Fall 1863 until the regiment reorganized for veteran service at the beginning of 1864.

The 17^th Regiment Veteran Reserve Corps was organized in January 1864 through the consolidation of ten of the old “1^st Battalion” companies –  the 1^st Battalion was composed of the men in the best physical shape. The regiment’s service is recorded as: “On duty during the year at Indianapolis, Ind., patrolling the city, guarding U.S. arsenal, State arsenal, and Government storehouses, and conducting men to the front. Forwarded 1,300 conscripts, 1,335 deserters, 3,400 recruits, 3,062 stragglers, 1,040 convalescents; total, 10,137; escapes, 56. Nineteen of the escaped men were lost by one officer, who was court-martialed by the commandant of the regiment, but permitted to send in his resignation. General duty very severe; men sometimes on guard for sixty hours. During one period of eight days the average detail for guard was one-half the regiment. Officers generally on double duty.”

We suspect the friend who presented the book was a young female admirer concerned for Dame’s spiritual as well as physical well-being, very likely Lucinda B. Freeman, who was working as a weaver in Concord at the time and whom he married there on December 9, 1861. The couple eventually had at least two children. He died in Laconia, NH, in 1902. She survived him to 1909.  [sr][ph:L]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

CLICK HERE FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS.

THANK YOU!

Inquire »