American Historical Ephemera and Photography

12 1/2 x 8 in. ledger with letters up to 8 x 10 in. Erie Railroad strike archive, ca. 1862 with account book by Leonard B. Blinn, and letters describing the strike (toning to the edges, some folds and creasing, scattered stains and discolorations, some fading ink).

Born to Suzy and Julius Blinn on 18 September 1837, Leonard Blinn, and his younger brother Julius B. Blinn worked as clerks in their home town of Perrysburg, Ohio, prior to the American Civil War. In 1860, Leonard married Caroline Seibert, daughter of German immigrants who had settled in the area, with the two listed in the 1860 census with their own household. Leonard B. Blinn enlisted on 25 April 1861 as a Second Lieutenant, and joined C Company of the Ohio 21st Infantry Regiment for three months. After he was mustered out, Blinn returned to his native Perrysburg and remained with his wife, continuing to conduct business until he was commissioned into Company A of the Ohio 100th Infantry Regiment. The letters in this collection were written between January and March of 1862, and reflect Leonard Blinn's business interests during the period between his enlistments. Included are letters discussing interruptions of regular service on the Erie Railway Company as a result of the Erie Railroad Strike in early 1862, business correspondence related to rail transport and shipping around Buffalo, New York, letters sent by a Samuel Read on Erie Railway stationary confirming that a rumored 'blockade' of Dunkirk, New York, was actually a strike, along with a lease agreement signed on 10 April 1862 for the use of land in Toledo, Ohio signed by Blinn and S.P. Browning. The ledger included with this lot is dated 1854, and records business accounts through that year, including bills received, bills paid, and notes regarding the business associates that Blinn engaged with.

Lieutenant Blinn received his promotion to 1st Lieutenant on 7 July 1862, just two months before the 100th Infantry Regiment was engaged with the Confederates in the Battle of Limestone Station as part of the Knoxville campaign to secure East Tennessee. The 100th Ohio was surrounded by Confederate troops at Limestone Station, and engaged the enemy until they ran out of ammunition and were compelled to surrender. Two-hundred men of the regiment were taken prisoner, including Blinn, who remained in Confederate custody for sixteen grueling months. During this time, he was held at Libby Prison, and later, Danville Prison, enduring the horrendous overcrowded conditions in both until he was exchanged on 26 November 1864. Blinn resigned on 3 March 1865, returning home to Perrysburg, and his former profession, eventually resettling his family in Toledo, Iowa, where he worked as a banker. Blinn died on 12 January 1924 at the age of 86, survived by his wife Caroline, and their three children.