Description
Collection of Alexander Simplot Civil War Sketches, lot of 15 drawings, various sizes, accomplished in black ink and wash with white highlights.
Alexander Simplot (1837-1914) was born in Dubuque, Iowa, the son of a wealthy grain broker and later meat packer. He apparently showed a natural aptitude for drawing, but little is known of his early life, and much of what follows is contained in a brief biography written in 1965 (see Richard Martin. "First Regiment of Iowa Volunteers Through the Eyes of Two Dubuquers" The Palimpsest The State Historical Society of Iowa). After graduating from Union College in New York, he returned to Dubuque and began teaching school. At the outbreak of the Civil War he joined 3,000 other residents of Dubuque at the wharf to see troops leave on the Alhambra; his sketchbook was in hand. He sent the drawing to Harper's Weekly and it was purchased by the editors, who subsequently hired him as a "Special Correspondent." Harper's published 51 of his sketches before illness forced him to return to Dubuque.
Because of his location, Simplot primarily covered the war on the Mississippi river and Missouri. Working primarily in pencil, he captured the flavor of the war in the Transmississippi, and was probably the only correspondent to cover his fellow artists and reporters; included in the group offered here are several illustrations of this carefree group of Bohemians. He was the only artist on hand to cover the Battle of Memphis, otherwise, luck was seldom on his side; he missed most of the major engagements in the West.
The group contains the following titles: 1. Gunboat Benton, Commodore Footes Flagship at Forts Henry, Fort Donelson and Fort Pillow and Com. Davise's [sic] Battle at Memphis, Ten., ink and wash drawing, 7.75" x 9", sight size, s.l.r.; good condition; matted/framed. 2. New Madrid Mo. View No. 1. Rebel Tents left Standing..., ink and wash drawing, 5.25" x 10.65", sight size, s.l.r.; good condition, abrasions at top, some creases; matted/framed. 3. The Union Fleet Passing Deserted Fort Randolph on the Way to Memphis, ink and wash drawing, 7.25" x 10.25", sight size, s.l.r.; good condition, some creases; matted/framed. 4. Bringing Troops from the North to Cairo, Landing of the 7th and 12th Reigments, Illinois Troops at Cairo. June 4th 1861., ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 7.25" x 10", sight size, no signature visible; generally good condition, tear lower edge; matted/framed. 5. Watching the Bombardment of Id'ld No. 10 by Our Mortar Boats from the Hospital Steamer G.W. Graham., ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 7" x 9.15", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, some stains; matted/framed. 6. Views at New Madrid and Point Pleasant. (No's 1.2.&3-) - Point Pleasant - Federal Battery - Fort Jeff. Thompson or Lower Fort [Portrait of "Genl. Pope" in oval above main drawing], ink and wash drawing, 6.15" x 11.25", sight size, s.l.r.; fair condition - full length vertical tear (1" from right edge, and tears in the narrow strip - signature is in the strip); also tears upper left quadrant in edge and repaired tear l.l. corner; matted/framed. 7. Genl. Grant at the Battle of Belmont - The last man to leave the Battle Ground, ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 7.85" x 9.85", sight size, s.l.l.; repaired tears l.l. corner, l.r. edge, top edge; matted/framed. 8. Evacuation of Columbus Ky. by the Confederates - the Rebels destroying by fire what could not be taken away. Rebel Fortificiations - Belmont, Mo., ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 7.25" x 9.75", sight size, s.l.l.; vertical fold full length at left edge; stain upper left quadrant and tear, also tears l.l. corner and u.r. corner; matted/framed. 9. Lieut. Morrissey and the Midnight Ride at Warsaw Mo. outside our lines, ink drawing, 6.65" x 10", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, a few creases, also small holes in left center; matted/framed. 10. A Midnight March of 3 Miles Outside of Our Lines at Warsaw, Mo After Suspected Arti-cles Contraband of War, Re
orted to be Hidden in This Rebels House., ink and wash drawing, 7.25" x 10.65", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, small tears at top edge; matted/framed. 11. The Corespondents [sic] on leaving Warsaw, find a vacant log school house on the way, whrein [sic] they comfortably write letters regarding the state of War, for their newspapers., ink and wash drawing, 7.15" x 8.25", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, repaired paper loss l.r. in title, also tears u.c., u.r., u.l.; matted/framed. 12. War Corespondents [sic] killing time at the 'Virginia' - Jefferson City, Mo. scene described by account by Richardson of the New York Tribune., ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 5.5" x 8.75", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, minor tears u.l. and top edge; matted/framed. 13. General Grant and his Father, 1862, ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 4.75" x 6.4", sight size, s.l.r.; good condition, minor creases; matted/framed. 14. Weston's Cross Roads, near Columbus Ky. - Occupied by Taylor Chicago Artillery., ink and wash drawing, 6" x 5.4", sight size, s.l.r.; generally good condition, tear and paper loss (repaired) lower edge, and some creases and abrasions; matted/framed. 15. Torpedoes with their Weights & Anchors left on the Levee at Columbus Ky., ink and wash drawing, 5.65" x 9.15", sheet size, glued to one side of a sheet of ledger paper 11" x 9.25", s.l.r.; creases, holes, edge tears, glued down (image is mostly intact). 16. ...[paper missing] Fremont's Night Encampments of his Army on the... [paper missing]...f Missouri., ink and wash drawing with white highlights, 7.15" x 11", sheet size, glued to one side of a sheet of ledger paper 11" x 9.25", s.l.r.; creases, edge tears, portions of lower edge and title missing; glued down.
As far as we can ascertain, these are the only known Simplot originals to have surfaced, and must, perforce, be considered exceptionally rare.
As Above.
