Saturday Morning, September 27, 2025
Fleeting Moments
Each year the knot hole seemed lower. But it was far more than a hole in a tree. It was a connection to someone, somewhere. At times, Jem would reach into the opening and retrieve objects. On this day, Scout joined him. Wait a minute, I feel something. From within he retrieved two small carved soap dolls. They stared at them. Scout spoke. Jem, this is you and me.
Deer hide document box, early nineteenth century.
Illustrated is label attached inside lid.
Asa Sawyer - Saddle, Harness Maker, & Chaise Trimmer, Bangor, Me, ca. 1820's-30's.
A memorable scene from the classic movie, To Kill a Mockingbird. These, gifts from Boo Radley, the neighborhood recluse. Their guardian angel. Jem stored all of his findings in a cigar box. And there they remained, until one day someone happened along and released them. Similiar to the baseball press pins we discovered this past year. Plus all the watches, ticket stubs, and memories. Fertile territory. Genie in a bottle. Far more valuable than gold or silver.
The Deerslayer
The box was small. Its deer hide cover dry, brass tacks tarnished. Time painted in the layers of dust. Hinges intact spoke little usage, surviving to us only through neglect. The latch lock removed yet stowed inside signaled treasures long ago removed. Gold and silver, but not memories. Yesterday's moments lying fallow, patient, silent.
Daguerreotypes to tin, past souls speak to us.
Please don't forget us. We are you. You are us.
Their language? Sounds of silence.
Appointment of George Washington Clark to Captain of Company H, Maine State Militia, 1842. Signed by Governor John Fairfield. Secretary of State Philip Carrigan Johnson would later work within President Polk's administration.
Our violation startled the box. The hinged lid yawned open. There, on the inside cover was our first clue. A paper label. Asa Sawyer - Saddle, Harness Maker, and Chaise Trimmer, Bangor, Me. Sawyer was a well-known tradesman working his craft in the first half of the nineteenth century. Before us were legal documents, letters in envelopes, and photo portraits. All neatly arranged. A time capsule. All as fresh as the day they were sequestered. Natty Bumppo would approve. The first envelope retrieved foreshadowed. A small note from the United States Adjutant General requesting fourteen men to report for military duty. The date? 1863. Our journey had just begun.
All for One, One for All
Meet George Washington Clark. Mayor. Soldier. State Senator. His home was New Vineyard, Maine. His life embodied the new spirit invading our young republic. Active and involved. A theme common. After all, they were building a country, not resting upon one.
October 31, 1863. Order from President calling for a quota of 14 men from New Vineyard to muster into the military.
This box was him, perfectly preserved, perhaps assembled by his wife Betsey upon his death in 1866. The lid then closed forever, well almost. The beauty in ephemera is it never leaves a breadcrumb trail. Unless one suffers silverfish. The population in New Vineyard in 1860 lists 864 residents. In the latest census of 2020, the total is 721. A hamlet. A home. A hearth.
Times that Try Men's Souls
The Adjutant General letter group best illustrates citizen commitment. As the war continued, President Lincoln called for more troops
31 October 1863. List of mustered soldiers from New Vineyard. A request to General Clark is made to allow additional volunteers. In this letter, 6 January 1864, from J.J. Stewart, he informs the general these boys will volunteer in another town needing to fill quota.
Upon Lincoln's death, Secretary of State Edwin Stanton proclaimed of the president, Now he belongs to the ages. Some dispute this claiming his last word was angels. Not a bad arguement at all.
In communities throughout the north, young and old stepped up to the challenge. In one exchange of letters, we read several additional men desired to volunteer beyond the prescribed number. To do this, they needed the approval of General George Washington Clark. A country bound by duty and God. When America is threatened, when our very existence is on the line, we respond. Surviving tidbits whether in a knot hole, or a deer hide box, best teach us what we have stood for and what we shall stand for tomorrow. It is a heavy mantle to carry. Some days our work can be quite humbling.
Doors open at 8 AM. Auction starts at 9 AM. PA AU 1265L [bb]