American Historical Ephemera and Photography Featuring the Civil War and American Militaria Collection of Bruce B. Hermann

Approx. 4 1/2 x 6 1/8 in. wood burial marker (weathered, former nail holes). Inscribed into wood: "J. Slade / 2d. Ret / Geo Vols."

[With:] Telegram with news of Slade's demise. Richmond, VA, 25 September [1862]. 7 9/16 x 4 15/16 in. partially-printed telegram completed in manuscript (two dark stains affecting ink color, toned). Signed "Dixon" (there were four soldiers in the 2nd Georgia with the last name Dixon), with a brief report from Antietam, notably: "I enquired about the Guards & Slade is certainly mortally wounded." 

Provenance: Don Troiani Collection (related by consignor)

J[ohn] H. Slade was a resident of Muscogee County, GA, and enlisted in the early days of the war on 16 April 1861 as a private, mustering in on the same day into Company G of the 2nd Georgia Infantry. Company G was known as the Columbus Guards and was led by Captain Roswell Ellis. Come 1862, the regiment began to see heavy fighting including Seven Days Battles, Garnett's Farm, the Battle of Malvern Hill, and Second Bull Run. At Antietam in the afternoon of the first day, the 2nd as part of Toombs' Brigade defended Rohrbach's Bridge, the southern-most crossing of the Antietam and now most frequently remembered as "Burnside's Bridge" due to the notoriety of the battle for the crossing. Union forces led by the 51st New York and 51st Pennsylvania (on the promise of a reinstated whiskey ration) with artillery support captured the bridge on the third attempt. Simultaneously, Toombs's forces were being flanked and ammunition was running low, forcing a retreat. Federal forces had more than 500 casualties, the Confederates with 160, including Slade who was wounded and listed as a prisoner of war. A newspaper article "From the Columbus Guards" reports that "Poor Johnny Slade died the day after the battle. He was buried as decently as circumstances would allow. His grave is marked, so that it can be identified." (Photocopy of the article included).