Rare grouping of artifacts related to (Acting) Assisstant Surgeon, William B. Ceary. Handsomely framed together, the items include:

1. Autograph letter by Ceary to his Wife. Columbia, [Kentucky], [28 January 1863]. [4 ] pages, 8vo.

2. Autograph note. [Columbia, Kentucky?], 28 January 1863. 1 page.

3. Captured Confederate uniform star collar insignia. Embroidered gold bullion and sequins. Taken from the uniform of Lieutenant Colonel Caleb A. Whaley, Commander of hte 2nd Georgia Cavalry (Cobb's Legion).

4. Vignetted albumen CDV bust-length portrait, presumably William B. Ceary.

5. Envelope addressed to Act. Ass. Surgeon W.B. Cleary?, Batty. "H", 4th Artty. (Gen. Palmer's) 2nd Div. Murfreesboro.

6. Reserve Artillery partial letterhead with envelope fragment addressed to Cary.

According to a document that accompanies this group, William B. Ceary was a civilian contract acting assistant surgeon for the 4th Indiana Artillery and the 4th United States Artillery. The Confederate collar star insignia was taken from the uniform of Lieutenant Colonel Caleb A. Whaley, Commander of hte 2nd Georgia Cavalry (Cobb's Legion). According to the letter and note, Whaley was mortally wounded and probably treated by Dr. Ceary.

Dr. Ceary writes in his letter: "The Rebel Lieut. Col. of the 2D Georgia Cavalry (Whaley) who was wounded at Stanford is Dead. He died on last Thursday the 23rd Confessing his Sins. The Rebel was a large fine man and an accomplished gentleman (only he was a rebel)." The note accompanying the star reads: "This is a Rebel Star off of the collar of Lt. Col. C.A. Whaley...mortally wounded at Stanford Last Fall...has gone to his Long Honor."

Prior to the war, Caleb Arthur Whaley (ca 1833-1862) was an orderly sergeant in the Fulton Dragoons, a militia company in Atlanta, Georgia. He enlisted on 14 Augsut 1861 as a private in Captain Rice's Company of the Georgia Legion, which later became Company B of Cobb's Legion of Georgia Volunteers. He later joined the 2nd Georgia Cavalry when it was organized in February 1862 and mustered into service on May 7th. A payroll document notes that he was Captain of an ep9onymous company in Lawton's Regiment Georgia Cavalry and received promotion to Major on May 17th. According to Poole's "Cracker Cavaliers", Whaley was commanding 4 companies of the 2nd Georgia Cavalry by Perryville. The 23 October 1862 issue of The Southern Confederacy reported that Whaley was "mortally wounded in teh battle of Perryville. He was shot through the kidneys and left in the hands of the enemy - being too feeble to be moved. The enemy allowed one of his own men, a prisoner, to reamin with and attend on him till his death, which occured the next day after the battle."

Caleby Arthur Whaley is mistakenly identified here as a lieutenant colonel, when indeed his rank was major at the time of death. Poole writes in Cracker Cavaliers: ""Whaley was commanding four companies of the 2nd Georgia under Wheeler after Lawton's resignation and the breakup of the Regiment. On 14 October, however, Whaley was wounded near Stanford and died there on 22 October. It is not clear how Whaley was wounded, but there were two Federal accounts that a Confederate lieutenant colonel was found mortally wounded in Stanford this day. This officer was almost certainly Maj. Whaley. It is possible that his rank was either misread or misreported. It is also possible, if indeed he had been put in command of the regiment, that Whaley was wearing the insignia of a lieutenant colonel."

Notably, the letter also notes that the Division Surgeon, (2nd Division) Doctor A.J. Phelphs has sent a request to the Indiana Governor to have Dr. Ceary commissioned as a surgeon or assistant surgeon in the army.