This irks me, no it angers me. These pirates of history who sell Civil War letters on Ebay to the highest bidder are disgusting. This is one of the few times capitalism bothers me. The private collectors horde history in personal collections away from historians and researchers, to marvel at as it hangs on their walls or lines their bookshelves. Yes, some historians and collectors purchase these letters for research and common good. But I have a hard time imagining many historians can afford these prices on a consistent basis:
60 CIVIL WAR LETTERS Member 7th MICHIGAN CAVALRY, countdiscula (how nice) is the seller and the collection sold for: $5,200.00
7 Civil War Soldier Letters 22nd MA Infantry 1863, $900
And there is more. Often individual letters sell for $150 or more, sometimes hundreds of dollars if the content is battle related.
