Item No. 8524127

An important archive of letters related to Major General Isaac Stevens, which includes the final letter written to Stevens’ wife on the day of his death at Chantilly, two other war-date ALS letters by Stevens, and several other letters and documents related to the General, his son and aide Hazard Stevens (later the first mountaineer to climb Mt. Rainier), and others in the Stevens family. Isaac Stevens began his military career after graduating first in his class from the United States Military Academy in 1839. He was commissioned as an Officer in the Corps of Engineers and spent several years constructing forts in New England. He served as adjutant for the Corps of Engineers during the Mexican-American War, and served during the battles of Cerro Gordo, Contreras, Churubusco, and during the Siege of Vera Cruz. He received a brevet promotion to Captain and led troops during the Battle of Chapultepec, where he received a brevet promotion to Major. He fought during the Battle of Molino del Rey, and was severely wounded at the Battle of Mexico City. Following the war, he was named Governor of the Washington Territory in 1853 and was elected the territorial delegate for Congress in 1856. At the outbreak of the Civil War, Stevens was commissioned Colonel of the 79th New York, known as the “Highlanders.” He was promoted to Brigadier General on September 28, 1861, and led troops during the Port Royal Expedition on the South Carolina coast. He led a division during the Battle of Secessionville, but after suffering heavy casualties was transferred to Virginia. He took command of a division of the 9th Corps, and led it during the Second Battle of Manassas and the following day at the Battle of Chantilly, where Stevens led his old regiment, the 79th New York, in an assault. As they advanced across the battlefield he ran past the body of his son and aide, Hazard, who lay critically wounded. Calling "Follow me, my Highlanders" Stevens was killed instantly by a bullet through his temple as he took the regimental colors, falling nearby the other notable general killed at Chantilly, Phil Kearny.

Last letter of General Isaac Stevens: Stevens’ final letter to his wife, Margaret, was hastily written in pencil on the day of his death. Of the defeat at Manassas he wrote, “We have passed through severe trials since I last wrote… My life and that of Hazard’s has been preserved but my horse was shot under me the first day.” Stevens continued:

I have not time at present to write you the account of the series of encounters which resulted in our defeat. My division has lost about four hundred men killed and wounded. The first day the loss of my own troops was heavier than on the second day. I led myself a charge by two Regiments upon the enemy located in a strong position in the woods in our front. The firing was terrific and the casualties great. Twelve officers of one of the Regiments were killed and wounded. Hazard’s health is improving. He is preserved, but I am afraid one of my aides, Lieut. Heffron, is killed [he had actually been captured].

The letter was written on 3 pages of a 4-page bifolium stationery sheet measuring 5” x 8”. As mentioned above, Stevens wrote the letter in pencil. Someone else, most likely Hazard or Margaret, traced over the pencil in period ink in an effort to preserve Stevens’ final written words. The letter is in excellent condition with creases at the original mailing folds. The letter reads:

Camp near Centreville
Sept 1st 1862

My dear wife,
We have passed through severe trials since I last wrote. Aug. 29 & Aug. 30th we attacked the enemy and were defeated. My life and that of Hazard’s has been preserved but my horse was shot under me the first day. He laid down dead on his back from a ball which entered his chest.

I have not time at present to write you the account of the series of encounters which resulted in our defeat. My division has lost about four hundred men killed and wounded. The first day the loss of my own troops was heavier than on the second day. I led myself a charge by two Regiments upon the enemy located in a strong position in the woods in our front. The firing was terrific and the casualties great. Twelve officers of one of the Regiments were killed and wounded.

Hazard’s health is improving. He is preserved, but I am afraid one of my aides, Lieut. Heffron, is killed [he had actually been captured]. a [illegible words] as today which will I hope may find news in regard to him.

Remember me to all the friends and much love to the girls.

Letter writing and mail have been [illegible] what is the [illegible] you have not [illegible words].
Your aff. husband
Isa

Margie

[Written on the reverse] The last letter General Stevens wrote. The morning it was written in the evening he was dead.

Second Letter: The earliest war-date letter in the Stevens archive was written from Beaufort, South Carolina, in February 1862. Writing to Margaret, Stevens expressed his criticism of the conduct of the war up to that point. "Where are our Sampsons?," he asked. "The country needs them and we Solomons with six hundred thousand men on foot, we get no adequate result." Stevens believed it was a mistake to "fritter away out strength in countless expeditions," referring to Ambrose Burnside's activities on the North Carolina coast, "sent off like a waif to operate God knows where," and Butler's expedition to New Orleans, "What will he do? Nothing," he wrote, adding that "He had no capacity for managing an expedition, as the result will show." Stevens believed these forces ought to be combined with the forces operating in Virginia. "With such a power of naval and military means, as might have been brought together," he believed, "we might by this time have struck a blow at the very heart of the rebellion and changed the entire attitude of Europe." Stevens further wondered how it could be that several officers whom he considered to be great talents were left on the sidelines of the war. Zealous Tower was "permitted to languish at Pensacola." "Why is [Edward O.] Ord simply kept in command of a brigade?" Joseph K. Mansfield was another general Stevens named who had "no opportunity." Margaret was evidently traveling to Washington, as Stevens encouraged her to call on the wife of General Horatio Wright, an old comrade from the Corps of Engineers, and to also call on the wife of General McClellan. Stevens closed the letter describing how his son and staff aide, Hazard Stevens, "drilled the Brigade at passing defiles. It is a remarkable how well posted he is in all the movements. Today he drills the Brigade in the changes of front. And on Saturday he will have drilled the Brigade in all the movements prescribed in the 3d volume of Scott’s Tactics.

The letter was written in ink on 7 pages, covering two separate sheets of 5” x 8” bifolium stationery. It is in excellent condition with creases at the original mailing folds. It reads:

Beaufort S.C. Feb 18 / 62

My dear wife,
I have written you at Boston and I shall address the care of Rich[ard] Backe. To him I have written very fully about affairs here, and the war generally. I only wish he was at the head of affairs. Then energy and wisdom would direct. I hope his counsels will at least be sought and appreciated. Where are our Sampsons? The country needs them and we Solomons with six hundred thousand men on foot, we get no adequate result. We do not operate with overwhelming forces on a decisive point. We fritter away our strength in countless expeditions. Burnside is sent off like a waif to operate God knows where, and he only. It is the most foolish and wanton throwing away of force, and the whole catalogue of Blunders. His success would be a failure for it leads to nothing and keeps a large force from operating where it might make defeat a victory. Butler is cast upon the gulf. What will he do? Nothing. He had no capacity for managing an expedition, as the result will show. Burnside and Butler together under a competent chief might do something. With the added force, which could be spared from here, more might be done. Here, operations should be strictly limited to maintaining points for the blockading squadron. With such a power of naval and military means, as might have been brought together, we might by this time have struck a blow at the very heart of the rebellion and changed the entire attitude of Europe. When will men see and act? When will the men of brains and genius be summoned to the posts of responsibility? Why is my old friend Tower permitted to languish at Pensacola? Why is Ord simply kept in command of a Brigade? Why does Mansfield have no opportunity?

At Washington you will have an opportunity to see and learn much. I hope you will cal on Mrs. Genl. Wright. Wright of the Engineers. He commands one of the Brigades of our expedition. You will meet many old acquaintances and will I hope have a pleasant time. How is Genl. Totten and Mrs. Totten? Give them both my warm regards. Also present my respects and kind remembrances to Mrs. Johnson and Miss Donelson. Don’t hesitate my dear wife to use the packs and go round comfortably. I wish you would leave your card at Mrs. Genl. McClellan’s. It will be right and proper to do so. It would rather not be right and proper not to do so. Genl. Marcy her father is a true friend of mine.

How is our little Kitty prospering? I expect she has grown amazingly. Is she as merry and as happy as ever? She is a light and joy to any house. You must remember me most fondly to Mrs. Backe. She has a kind heart and first rate sense. How she sees the bodies and the putences, and the hollowness of persons, but so kindly and so forbearing. You will I know enjoy your visit much.

We have nothing stirring here. Yesterday we had a five Brigade drill of three Regiments. Hazard drilled the Brigade at passing defiles. It is a remarkable how well posted he is in all the movements. Today he drills the Brigade in the changes of front. And on Saturday he will have drilled the Brigade in all the movements prescribed in the 3d volume of Scott’s Tactics.

Write me often. Hazard has written you. Give my love to the baby.
Your aff. husband
Isa

Margie

N. B. Mr. Laydam, one of the Government Agents here, to collect cotton, leaves on the Atlantic tomorrow for Washington City. I have given him a letter to you, and also to Mrs. Backe. He is a very excellent man and is well posted in affairs. He will be able to tell you about everything, especially how Hazard gets along.

Third Letter: The next letter is a staff copy of a letter Stevens wrote to Massachusetts Governor John Andrew in July 1862, recommending his adjutant, Hazard Stevens, be promoted Lieutenant Colonel in the 28th Massachusetts Regiment, a unit from his division that he believed was in need of "a decisive, energetic and experienced commander." His staff officer son had "greatly distinguished himself in the Department of the South, is thoroughly acquainted with Company, Battalion and Brigade drill and is incomparably the best drill officer in my entire division. This letter was written in a staff officer's hand on 2 pages of a 4-page bifolium sheet measuring about 7 3/4" x 9 3/4". Excellent condition with very light toning. Creased where originally folded. It reads:

Headquarters, 1st Division, Burnside’s Expedition
Newport News, July 26, 1862

His Excellency
John A. Andrew
Governor of Massachusetts
Boston

Sir
Leiut. Col. Moore, 28th Regt, Mass. V. has resigned his commission, which makes a vacancy in the Regiment. The Colonel Monteith is now undergoing a trial before a General Court Martial on charges, for which he has been under arrest for many weeks. It will be some time before results of the trial can be known, and if it results in his continuing in service, it is not probable that his health will permit him to exercise his command of the regiment for some time.

It becomes important therefore that the Lieut. Colonelcy should be filled without delay. The regiment is in my division. It has the material for a first class regiment. But it needs a decisive, energetic and experienced commander, and I write you therefore to suggest one.

I will recommend my Adjutant General for this position, Capt. Hazard Stevens. He has greatly distinguished himself in the Department of the South, is thoroughly acquainted with Company, Battalion and Brigade drill and is incomparably the best drill officer in my entire division. He is thoroughly competent to the duties of the command of a Regiment and I recommend his appointment as Lieutenant Col. with a view to promotion as Colonel, in the event of a vacancy.

You did me the honor, nearly a year since, to ask my acceptance of the command of a Massachusetts Regiment. I could not accept your offer because I was pledged to the 79th Highlanders, N.Y. Volunteers. I now will ask you to place my son, Capt. Stevens, in command of the 28th Massachusetts by appointing him Lieut. Colonel.
I am, sir, very Respectfully,
Your Most obt.
(sd) Isaac Stevens
Brig. Gen. Comd

Fourth letter: The last of the archive's letters written by Isaac Stevens is one written three days after the letter to Governor Andrew, in July 1862, just about a month before his death. In this letter Stevens discusses his and Hazard's servants in camp and takes another swipe at the conduct of the war. Stevens wrote to Margaret that he employed three servants, with another employed by Hazard. "One servant cooks, another takes care of my horses and a third is my body servant," he wrote. "Hazard and myself now have a mess to ourselves. I prefer it. It is much less trouble and not more expensive." He then again criticized the conduct of the war, expressing his opinion that most of McClellan's troops on the Virginia Peninsula should be sent to John Pope in Northern Virginia, and that Burnside should also join those forces. That's what ended up happening, more or less, and Stevens believed that "by the first of October...we’d eventually be in one month the masters of Virginia." It was not to be, as Pope was flanked and thrashed by Lee at Second Manassas. The next day Isaac Stevens was killed. This letter was written on 4 pages of a 5" x 8" bifolium sheet. Excellent condition with mailing folds. The letter reads:

Newport News, July 29 / 62

My dear wife,
I was glad to learn from your letter of the 25th that Hazards things and the deed had reached you. I sent by Express on the 25th $150 and Hazard in the same enclosure sent $100.

Our expenses are but moderate. We pay about $8 per month for a servant. I have three and Hazard one. One servant cooks, another takes care of my horses and a third is my body servant. Hazard and myself now have a mess to ourselves. I prefer it. It is much less trouble and not more expensive. My monthly expenses do not exceed one hundred dollars, and some months they are considerably less.

Hazard is quite economical and will lay up something handsome from his pay. I have advised him to be careful in this regard. We have been hoping that this rebellion would be crushed in the course of another year and with prudence Hazard will have enough to prepare for some profession. But I do not feel much hope that the war will be ended in one or even two years. The recent measures for raising troops are bad. The Government should have resorted rigorously to drafting, and it would swiftly have filled up the existing regiments. By this course in sixty days our armies would have been increased to the extent that would have enabled us to contend successfully with the enemy. With the present arrangements, it is doubtful whether anything decisive can be done until next spring. Certainly not for three months. Unless very radial measures are taken. Measures which I am confident will not be taken. And that is to withdraw all but 25,000 of McClellan’s force and send it to Pope. Pope’s army would thus be raised by, with Burnside, to 150,000 men. By entrenching McClellan can sustain himself till Pope defeats the enemy. Pope will then have a reserve of 100,000 men. By the present arrangements sixty thousand men can probably be raised, equipped and sent into the field by the 1st of October and thirty thousand every month afterwards. By drafting rigorously and filling up the existing regiments, McClellan could have 40,000 men and Pope 250,000 by the first of October, with all under experienced officers, and then we’d eventually be in one month the masters of Virginia.

Hazard will write you soon.
Love to the girls,
Your aff. husband
Isa

Margaret

1st Division 9th Corps d’Armee
Newport News
Va

In addition to these four letters, the archive contains 1) An envelope of strands of Isaac Stevens’ hair that was cut off by his friend John L. Hays in Washington on September 1, 1862, the day Stevens was killed. 2) An envelope that is marked "Shot's hair" with strands of hair [it is unclear who "Shot" is]. 3) Two pages, 8" x 10", of notes in pencil concerning references to General Isaac Stevens in the Official Records of the Rebellion. 4) Letter written by Margaret Hazard Stevens to her son when her husband Isaac Stevens served as territorial governor of Washington. Four page bifolium letter, 7 3/4” x 9 3/4", [Washington Territory]; May 1, [circa 1856]. 5) Letter signed "Mother." Four page bifolium, 7 3/4" x 9 3/4", [Washington Territory]; June 6, [circa 1856]. Letter written by Margaret Hazard Stevens to her son Hazard Stevens. 5) Letter signed "Margaret L. Stevens." Four page bifolium, 5 3/4" x 7 1/4", Olympia, W[ashington]. T[erritory]. Letter written by Margaret Hazard Stevens to Isaac Stevens' brother, Oliver Stevens (1825-1905), an American attorney and politician in Massachusetts, about the education of her son. 6) Document signed. "Isaac Stevens." Four page bifolium, 8" x 13", Andover, Massachusetts; April 16, 1814. Lease of Henry Gardner Bridges to Isaac Stevens (father of General Isaac Stevens) covering two pieces of property and improvements in Andover, Massachusetts, for the purpose of farming. 7) Document signed "Nath. Stevens" and "Moses T. Stevens." One page, 7 1/2" x 9 3/4", North Andover, Massachusetts; n.d. Undated deed, of Nathaniel Stevens to Isaac Stevens for Pew No. 40 in the First Church of North Andover, Massachusetts. 8) Document signed "Henry Osgood" and "Moses T. Stevens." One page, partially printed document, 8 1/4" x 13", Andover, Massachusetts; June 9, 1863. Deed from the Andover Cemetery Association to Oliver Stevens.