July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
War-date Union Autograph Letter Signed by John T. Dunn, 4pp. octavo, Camp Baker, Lower Potomac, March 9 [1862], and reads in part: “...I wrote to Daniel Sullivan yesterday but dear knows where he is by this time. He may be moved from Ship Island. I think you would be glad to have been here last Monday evening and in fact all day to witness the battle or rather the flight of the rebels before the shells of our gunboats from their Blockading batteries on the Potomac. It was indeed a splendid scene. Four of our gunboats engaged them and run in under their guns firing red hot round shot and shell, the rebels made tracks double quick setting fire to their magazine and stores and spiking their cannon after which they retreated to the wooded hills above their batteries onto which our boats fired shot and shell until half past ten at night. You could see the trace of their shells in their passage through the air a stream of fire like the tail of a comet marked it and to see our boys throw a shell in about every five seconds would I know please you. I stood about three quarters of a mile from the cockpit batteries. The First Mass and the Fifth N.J. passed over today and the whole division will cross over tomorrow to join Heintzelman in turning the right wing of [?] at Manassas...The rebels are falling back into a common center at their strong hold in Manassas at which they will either fight a terrible battle or make a cowardly retreat. One thing is certain it is this that if they stand it will cost the government 40,000 lives to take it but take it they will cost what it may...” Fine condition.
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