1905 SUPERB ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT RETROSPECTIVE JOURNAL OF THE DETAILED AND ENGROSSING BIOGRAPHY OF CIVIL WAR CAPTAIN MATTHEW JANSEN, BY HIS LOVING BROTHER AND COMRADE IN ARMS WHO SERVED AND FOUGHT IN OVER 100 BATTLES AND SKIRMISHES WITH HIM

On offer is a truly remarkable Civil War document: A deeply detailed and fascinating retrospective journal of Matthew Jansen, Captain of the Union Army's 27th Illinois Regiment during the Civil War. It was handwritten in 1905 by one of Jansen's brothers, Theodore, who served alongside of him. It is over 60 over sized pages long and very densly filled with original content some of which was published in "The Biography and Reminiscences of Matthew Jansen, 1905". [The manuscript was oddly created; some portions in a cardboard folio some sewn and otherwise attached forming double sheets. The brittleness of the paper resulted in some loss to the edge and joins but since we received the item a master conservator has made repairs and stopped the losses.] It gives significant first hand details about the life he lived and the many battles fought with the 27 Illinois Regiment. It begins the years before the War in Quincy, Illinois (where Jansen and his brother were from) to the enlistment of Jansen as a private until 1865 all the way to fighting with General Sherman in Atlanta. It is an incredible piece of American history with in depth and vivid descriptions of battles fought, lives lived, and sights seen. Theodore writes lovingly and engrossingly about his brother, constantly praising his skills and acumen in battle and in life. Much of the diary are the facts of battle, but there are also passages that speak of why the brother's are fighting the war in the first place. They seem staunchly anti-slavery. Speaking on the Emancipation Proclamation, the journal reads: "no thank God its dead yes slavery now from this day over is dead, Lincoln's Proclamation killed it…one an undivided Democrat and Republican Volunteer Soldiers who are now going to give a backbone to the Emancipation Proclamation by going on Picket Guard…" There are also passages that describe in horrid detail the horrors of war, death, hunger, and disease. There are harrowing passes of the suffering brought up all (soldier, civilian and even the horses) during the bloodiest war in U.S. history. Here is a very small portion of what is in this incredible journal: "Kansas border ruffianism was republished daily and constantly inferred to either for or against both political parties until October 13th, 1859 the great political orators Abraham Lincoln and Steven A Douglas arrived in Quincy and next day they engaged in a joint debate which attracted thousands of both parties from far and near and the amount of light their joint debate defused…subject was certainly of the greatest value to all who heard it, understandingly as it clearly defined the position of the south and the north…Brother Matthew had the advantage of most young men of that age as his experience at the P House at Leavenworth Kansas had taught him many things…and when abruptly after the Lincoln and Douglas debate a polished club known as the 'Wide Awakers' was organized become one of the principal aids in formation and was thereafter elected by a large majority as its First Lieutenant…" (The Wide Awakes was a teen and young adult organization cultivated by the Republican Party during the 1860 presidential election in the United States.) "The Captain of this Wide Awake Company was Joshua R Wood, son of Gov John Wood of Illinois, a man of fine military training and almost daily did he drill his military company during the spring and summer of 1860… The election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency did not at all quite the public of the South nor a very large number of our people here in Quincy…" The Civil War begins shortly after: "three days later came the Proclamation of the President calling for Seventy Five thousand volunteer soldiers, and at once the Old Mexican War hero Captain B.M. Prentiss of Quincy began the work of enrolling young able bodied men on that same Saturday afternoon…Thousands of people accompanied our march to the train and the city of Quincy seemed aflame with patriotism, cheer after cheer was given for the first company of soldiers starting out for the war…" Matthew and his brother Theodor enlist as privates and are mustered into the 27th Illinois Regiment, Company A. "we began our first march to Camp Butler…" Here the Regiment would be mustered into Federal Service on August 10, 1861. "Captain Prentiss remarked It would be strange indeed if in a military company as large as this one or two cooks could not be found, but remember boys that Uncle Sam is not running a hotel… at 6 o'clock awaking us for roll call and on looking Eastward the Ohio River disclosed to us the heavily timbered western front of Kentucky while directly westward across the broad expanse of the Mississippi River we could plainly see the Confederate Camp on Birds Point Missouri just established there with the intention of crossing over and fortifying Cairo, Illinois had not our little army been sent here before they could do so…" And so begins the lead up to and the actual 'Battle of Belmont,' in early November, 1861 in Mississippi County, Missouri. In addition to this being the Jansen Brother's first combat, it was also the first combat test in the American Civil War for Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, the future Union Army General in Chief and eventual U.S. president." Jansen writes detailed and engrossingly of the battle, and no action is taken without being remarked up: "[we] Plainly could see several large rebel flags floating over their camp and then out past our Picket Guards extended fully a mile up and down the river…At 9 o'clock the bugles sounded the Guard for both Camp and Picket guards as soldiers must not be allowed to stray away into the many saloons and other demoralizing places… Expedition to Cape Girardeau, Missouri Regiment was sent out under command of Col Tilson on an expedition up the Mississippi River on the Steamer Alex Scott, left Cairo at 6 AM passing the Rebel garrison on Birch Point which never as much as hailed us evidently under strict military orders as ourselves…arrived at P Landing on the Missouri Side, disembarked and deployed as skirmishers hiding behind bushes rocks and trees and had not waited long before we heard ? approaching quite a body of rebel cavalry some 200 or more were allowed to come quite into our semi-circled net spread for their reception…they were disarmed and put on board the Alex Scott guards placed over them…shot being fired another complete surprise...these prisoners were also taken on board the Alex Scott…with these prisoners we decided our three days rations when it became supper time which was only appreciated by all these unfortunate confederate boys…" "Evacuation of Birds Point Missouri by the Confederates… Accordingly a reconnaissance from both above and below Birds Point that the enemy had departed and immediately General sent 8000 troops from Cairo to the place and also on the Kentucky side opposite of Cairo was placed of 5000 around Fort holt…Meanwhile twenty four gunboats and several monitors had been built at St Louis and were sent to Cairo was soon as complete… Commodore Foot in command of this naval squadron kindly insisted all the troops at Cairo, Fort Holt and Birds Point to visit…"; "November 1st 1861 while on Picket Guard our boys spied a small white flag being waved across the Ohio River on the Kentucky side.. they met a ? in Confederate uniform who proved to be a deserter from the rebel army at Columbus, KY this deserter asked in broken english if any of their number could speak. Sherman requested to be taken to General Grant's headquarters. he was not tell why but insisted on seeing General Grant first…on being conducted to General Grant the remained there about half an hour when he emerged with one of our corporal with a written order from General Grant to be conducted to Capt Schmitts Company A 27th Illinois and then questioned more definitely…He stated his name was William Allie and he had deserted from the rebel army at Columbus Kentucky and now wanted to enlist in the Union Army and asked for the proper officer to administer the oath. This being down a uniform and rifle was furnished him…for at least ten days he would tell us anything about the rebel army at Columbus but simply said General Grant knows all and commanded me not to tell others for at least ten days…Comrade Allie proved to be a good soldier…" "Battle of Belmont Missouri. November 6th our entire brigade suddenly received marching orders…at 6 o'clc came the call in undertones, Fall In, and off we marched directly to the wharf where lay the Alex Scott…Col Buford saying twenty seven Illinois Rise! Fall in take arms, shoulder arms prepare to load…Attention Battalion Soldiers we are about to attack the enemy, your Colonel hopes that you have prepared your minds and hearts for the worst if this day slain in battle…now commend your souls to God because we are less than two miles from the enemy at Belmont…General Grant is our commander but the Lord of Hosts is our leader and our Guide…Battalion! Attention! Soldier Arms! Right Face! Forward March!…about half a mile from our landing a halt was ordered as it was still too dark to make the attack…we are commanded to crouch behind bushes to avoid being seen by their camp or picket guards. No our Colonel is in our midst and gives instructions to our captains to keep the men all together… Just at this moment on our right our battery of six cannons opens fire with shells...we now see the rebel guards retreating and though fleeing for their line we catch up with them and overtake them they throw away their guns and surrender…we can see the shells from our battery burst directly in their camp…between the line of battle and the rebel camp is a deep hollow of considerable width we rush down the sides and quickly cross and up the steep east side…are met with terrific rifle fire from the enemy who though taken on a surprise and had not even time to dress yet make a determined stand and load and fire as the fall back…hundreds of the rebel soldiers rush on board the boat to escape our rifle balls others unable to get aboard jump down the river banks and open fire…Col Buford mounted on his horse leads the charge and in about five minutes the batter is ours…Vast sheets of flame forth from the Confederate batteries… General Grant dashes forward with cigar in mouth and sword in hand calling out follow men brave boys we'll take those rebel batteries and down through the deep hobos and over to the other side we go.. under General Logan is being charged by a larger rebel army camped below Belmont and soon our entire rear is threatened...despite all warnings our Brigade was at this time badly beaten. Now a large body of rebel Cavalry is seen approaching from the woods…" After the victory, Grant ordered the camp set on fire. In the confusion and blinding smoke, wounded Confederate soldiers in some of the tents were accidentally burned to death. This is referenced when Jansen writes, "On Return to Cairo Illinois…the entire city was illuminated in honor of our little victory at Belmont..." Stock is taken of the battle and specifically of the 27th Illinois: "of the entire company only William Allie the rebel deserter and Fred Worman slightly wounded our entire 27th Illinois had only 5 killed and 28 wounded of the entire brigade and cavalry killed 26 wounded 219 while some 65 men were missing…" "Battle of Stone River at Tennessee… Friday afternoon the onslaught of the confederate became simply furious and their attempt to break through our center where over three hundred cannons were massed the slaughter was awful, again and again did these trusty brave men charge…terrible indeed was the slaughter for the space of three hours when at last darkness closed the scene it was quite evident to our commanding officers that they had exhausted their greatest strength in these successive charges and would now seek to retreat…the order came from General Sheridan's headquarters to double our picket line to guard against a surprise or night attack. The order fell upon the 27th Illinois and at once we moved from Company A filing to the right, Captain Jansen was seeking to protect his men against the hundreds of minnie balls still flying from the rebel lines he placed a squad of ten men being in the darkness…" "Battle of Chickamauga Tennessee Our line of march extended along the Lookout Mountain chain for 4 miles…Meantime General N had been sent from Bridgeport Alabama to attack Braggs Army at Chattanooga from the north, keeping the enemy busy while our army corps made this flank movement in the rear to draw the rebel army after us into the open Chickamauga valley where both armies would have an gun show…On Thursday Sept 17th our advance reached R Georgia within 30 miles of the rebel rear…Accordingly General Sheridan ordered Captain Jansen to take his reliable Company A and scant well and carefully along the river bank. We had not proceeded over half a mile when we heard splashing in the river and land talking of negroes nearer by. Our Corporal as usual several steps in advance carefully crept in the bushes to within forty or fifty feet and plainly saw a group of negro cooks engaged in cooking dinner or supper…the poor negro cooks some twenty in number were so badly frightened and surprised most of them turned almost white with fear…In the river battling some 75 or 100 rebel soldiers officers and all…too late their arms were in our possession and all they could do was to surrender in the nude condition…This company of high toned Georgia Soldiers had been sent out several miles in advance of the main rebel army to watch for the approaching Union Army but the day being warm they could not resist the temptation of a bath which of course led to their capture… Lieut V with about 25 of company A boys now took charge of these prisoners and conducted them to Sheridan's Headquarters…Next Day Friday Sept 18th, our advance reached Ringgold Georgia and there met the enemy's heavy skirmish line, soon our field artillery was brought forward and engaged the rebel artillery in duel which continued for hours. Now was begun the stubbornly contested Battle of Chickamauga which continued with unabated furry from Friday afternoon till Sunday night… On Monday Oct 10 our first Lieut Joseph Voelinger died from the effects of his wounds greatly lamented by his comrades and all the officers of the regiment..the boys would drink double quantities of Tennessee River Water with many of them becoming quite sick from its ill effects. Our poor horses starved to death by hundreds…their emaciated bodies swaying to and from for hours… Despite these sad surroundings and the fierce bombardment from Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge our brave boys generally sought to amuse one another in various ways… Arrival of Shipment from Vicksburg…the advance of Sherman's army arrived from Vicksburg Mississippi and crossing the Tennessee river immediately behind us at once took position on our left… The coldest day was January 1st 1864 when seven of our picket guard were found frozen to death scant clothing only half rations for several months had greatly ? us all…" "Atlanta Campaign or Sherman's march through Georgia…The deadly carnage followed the onslaught of a great army under General WT Sherman of more than 100000 soldiers and the rich army of fully equal in numbers under the campaign of General Joseph Johnston…fought the battle of Dalton, Big Shanty, Kennesaw, Peachtree Creek and Atlanta each of these were genuine battles in which hundreds yes thousands were slain…Right manfully did the confederate army contend with us every step of our advance to the Chattahoochee River but our right and left flanks were under the able management of General Kilpatrick and General Stoneman compelled the enemy to fall back or be captured… On leaving the city of Atlanta the force battle of Peachtree Creek occurred…made one more desperate move to break our army in two since Thursday June 21st our Captain Jansen had been acting Commander in place of Col Schmitt who was overcome by the intense heat and was the commander of the 27th Illinois Regiment at the Battle of Peachtree Creek ten miles north of Atlanta. The great fight began at 2 o'clock the 27th Illinois was the first to cross the long covered bridge spanning the deep creek …which at once gave rise to our suspicion that the enemy had set a trap for us. Soon as our regiment crossed Captain Jansen gave orders to deploy as skirmishers and filed to the right closely followed by the 22nd, 42nd and 51st Illinois…we heard the Rebel Yell making the full bayonet charge. Instantly Captain Jansen commanded lie down and the advancing rebel columns were met with…still on they came charging and yelling determined to drive us into Peach Tree Creek…Our losses were also great…" "Bombardment of Atlanta...Active preparations for the destruction of the rebel stronghold…before a single shot from our heavy ordnance was fired into the great city full of non-combatants helpless women and children the aged and feeble and ever considerate human commander in chief General Sherman sent notice to General Johnston commander of the confederate evacuate all non combatants in 10 days offering free transportation to all desiring to go north but these offered at first were rejected… This order from General Sherman brought the desired result and in short notice and in a day or two our railway trains became quite busy carrying these unfortunate families northward…Bombardment did not begin until Tuesday August 6th 1864 when suddenly after sunrise our four hundred cannon hurled their missiles of death into the doomed city…charge after charge with bayonets was made unto our line with determination to dislodge us only to be repulsed with terrible slaughter. Meanwhile the enemy flanks were driven back and communication with his ? interrupted, heavy explosions of their magazines could be distinctly heard followed by immense balloon like clouds of smoke as the result of our vigorous bombardment and on September 4th the order was given for our general advance over the rebel works into Atlanta we met with only slight resistance as most of the rebel army had fallen back to Jonesboro, Georgia…Soon we marched to the W and A Depot and running northward now had a better view of the many battlefields on which we had contended with the rebel hosts…had lost so many of our comrades whose graves were now covered with reminders of the awful battle." (Background: Matthew Jansen and his brother enlisted on August 20th, 1861. Theodore was commissioned as a corporal and Matthew as a 1st sergeant in the 27th IL Co. A. The promotion would not be the last. Theodore was promoted to sergeant while Matthew rose in the ranks to captain by April 16, 1862. Together, they fought in over 17 battles and 100 skirmishes. The 27th Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry was an infantry regiment that served in the Union Army during the American Civil War. The 27th Illinois Infantry was organized at Camp Butler, Illinois and mustered into Federal service 10 August 1861. The regiment fought in the Battles of Belmont [Missouri], Island No. 10, Corinth, Farmington, LaVerne, Stone's River, and the Tullahoma Campaign; at Chickamauga, the Battles for Chattanooga, the Relief of Knoxville, and in the Atlanta Campaign, including the Battles of Buzzards Roost, New Hope Church, and Kennesaw Mountain where the 27th Illinois spearheaded the uphill assault. Pulled out of the line at Atlanta 24 August 1864, the regiment was sent via Nashville to Springfield, Illinois where 20 September 1864 it was mustered out. However, 90 reenlistees (most reenlisted 1 January 1864 at Blain's Cross Road [today Blaine], Tennessee) of the 27th Illinois Infantry were kept together at Atlanta as the 27th Illinois Veteran Detachment under the command of Capt. William B. Young, 1st Lt. Isreal Heaps adjutant, and were attached for logistic purposes to the 79th Illinois Volunteer Infantry Regiment as Company I. Armed with 20 new Henry repeating rifles, the 27th Illinois Veteran Detachment distinguished itself at the Battles of Spring Hill, Franklin (Heaps was captured in the debacle of Wagner's Advance Line) and Nashville (Young was killed in the impromptu and successful IV Corps charge up Overton Hill). The 27th Illinois Veteran Detachment was disbanded 26 May 1865, with its survivors assigned to Company G, 9th Illinois Consolidated Mounted Infantry (essentially dragoons). A few of the 27th Illinois Veterans elected to remain with the 79th Illinois Infantry. Most were discharged in June 1865.); Manuscript; Folio - over 12" - 15" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, THEODORE JANSEN, MATTHEW JANSEN, RETROSPECTIVE BIOGRAPHY, CIVIL WAR ERA, , UNION ARMY, CAPTAIN, 27TH ILLINOIS REGIMENT, COMPANY A, QUINCY, ILLINOIS, GENERAL ULYSSES S. GRANT, GENERAL WILLIAM TECUMSEH SHERMAN, MARCH TO ATLANTA, CIVIL WAR ATLANTA CAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS DURING THE CIVIL WAR, WIDE AWAKES, JOSHUA R. WOOD, CAPTAIN B.M. 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