Raynor HCA 2013-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/10/2013
A great war-date Confederate officer's full letter with partial, totaling 6pp. 8vo., written by Capt. Godfrey Leaphart, Co. C, 20th South Carolina Vols., "Sullivan's Island, [S. C.], May 7, 1863" to his sister, in small part: "…everything is quiet since the fight [First battle of Charleston Harbor, April 7-8, 1863] in the harbor…our men [CSA hired hand Charleston citizen Adolphus W. LaCoste] have succeeded in getting the [two 11 inch]guns off the Keokuk that is sunk. There is about two regts of Yankees on Folly Isld. which is divided from Morris Isld by a very narrow cut. They frequently hold conversation with our men…they go together some times and trade tobacco for coffee. They never fire at each other. I thought a few days ago that we would be moved to Tennessee…four Regts have been moved from Charleston to Tennessee this week. Some…Regts complain a good deal about their being moved so often…they call our Regt the 'Pound Cake Regt'…from accounts our army have given the Yankees another whipping at Fredericksburg [Chancellorsville campaign]. I hope Sherod was not in this last fight…[n. d. partial letter, most likely written before the above letter]…I have tried to name off some thing resembling the monitor…it is a representation of the Keokuk. The rest only had one turret to a boat. The turrets and smoke stacks were nearly all that could be seen of them, for about three feet of the deck looked out. The edge of the deck [of the Keokuk] all around are slopping to cause the balls to glance [off]. The turrets are round like a hogshead…they run up sloping also being about twenty feet at bottom & about eight at the top & about ten feet high. The guns are in the turret. One or two guns to each turret. We amuse ourselves since the fight laughing at the negroes. They were nearly frightened to death when we got orders to form lines. I told Jim [my servant] to take my trunk and go to Mt. Pleasant, but he did not go…he threw the trunk down and tok the double quick himself. The man that drives the wagon for my company found this trunk in the evening. Hoffman's boy stuck his trunk in a hole. They both come up next day about 12 o'clock. One of the officers from Ft. Moultrie toiled me that our men shot away about sixty thousand dollars worth of ammoniation during the fight..". Both VG.
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