Alanson Austin Haines Talks Book Marketing and the Battle of Opequan
Alanson Austin Haines, Chaplin of the 15th New Jersey Volunteers, drafted this letter to Captain Lewis Van Blarcom in 1883 regarding the reunion of the Battle of Opequan as well as the marketing and sale of his recently published book. Alanson A Haines was author of the History of the Fifteenth Regiment New Jersey Volunteers published in 1883.
Hamburg
Sept 5th 1883
My dear Captain I noticed your call for a meeting of the Committee today, and would be glad to attend it, were I able.
I am getting well however, and hope to be in Newton next week and to see you. I am sorry I have been of so little help thus far in the matter of the reunion.
We need to sell our history now, and I would be glad for any suggestions as to the proper way of making the canvases for it through our county. We must arrange to sell a large number of books by the reunion, and to have some good men in charge of it.
I think you are succeeding wonderfully in your preparations and the reunion will surpass every thing we have yet had.The Anniversary of the Battle of Opequan will long be remembered in Sussex.
Has an invitation been extended to the Thomas R. Haines Post of Princeton? I do not know whether as a Post they could accept our invitation, but it would be a courteous thing to invite them. They are a nice set of men, and mostly calvary men.
Yours Very Truly
A. A. Haines
P.S. Invitations might be sent to Colonel John Schoonover, and Chaplain Cline of Oxford, Warren County.
