Description
Carte view of Corporal Christopher J. Edenborough of the 67th New York Volunteer Infantry. Otherwise known as the 1st Long Island Regiment, Christopher would muster as a corporal with Company C in June, 1861. The regiment would be posted near Washington during the winter of 1861-62 and joined the general advance under McClellan to the Peninsula in March taking part in the siege of Yorktown. It would also be present at Williamsburg and at Fair Oaks, where 164 men from the regiment were killed or wounded. During the Seven Days’ battles the division was employed in guarding trains until the battle of Malvern Hill, when it was in the thick of the fight. They would be active at Fredericksburg, with slight loss and went into winter quarters near Falmouth. 1863 would see the men engaged at Chancellorsville and Gettysburg, and continuing south with the Army of the Potomac to Brandy Station. Christopher would re-enlist at the end of the year and in January of 1864, the 67th was detached and sent to Johnson’s Island in charge of prisoners, returning to the army in April. Taking part in Grant’s spring campaign, at the Wilderness the loss of the command was 93 in killed, wounded and missing out of 270 engaged, and the remnant participated in the constant fighting which led up to Petersburg. On June 20, the veterans and recruits were consolidated into a battalion of five companies, which remained at the front bearing the regimental designation until Sept. 1, when they were consolidated with the 65th New York Infantry. For Christopher’s part, he would be detailed as a musician in the brigade’s band in June, 1863, a role he would fulfill for the remainder of the war. This view bears a period pencil inscription on the reverse reading “C. J. Edenborough Co. “C”, 1st Regt. L. I. Vols. New York”. Accompanying the image, a two page letter written by Christopher to his mother written on the Cedar Creek battlefield. Dated October 24, 1864, in camp near Middletown, Virginia. In part the letter reads “we are on the same ground we were driven from on the 19th and hold it with more confidence than ever of our ability to hold it. All is quiet along the lines. The nights are quiet and cause us to think seriously of winter quarters but we do not expect to go to winter quarters. We all seem to understand that Grant will strike one gigantic blow at the rebellion which we all hope will be the finale and that this army will cooperate”. Really neat little grouping.
