Raynor HCA 2014-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/30/2014
A good war-date Union naval officer's letter, 3pp. 8vo., written by Acting 3rd Asst. Engineer George S. Thurston, "U. S. S. Sloop Seminole, off Sabine Pass, Nov. 29, 1863", in part: "…the Seminole is the flag ship at this station. There are but 2 gun boats on this station besides this one, namely the Arizona, a side wheel steamer. A little larger than the Calhoun and the propellor Cayuga. The gun boat Aroostook has just arrived…there is a coal bark that supplies the vessels with coal…we can [see] some of the Rebel steamers just inside the pass. Last Monday we had the pleasure of seeing the steamer Sachem captured from this fleet some time ago. Some of the officers…have been expecting an attack…if they had any chance of success they would have commenced operations last Saturday as there was but 2 of us here. The Arizona having gone to convoy an Army Transport to New Orleans. The Seminole is an 800 ton sloop of war. She carries 9 guns, 3 long 32 pounders on each side. 1 pivot 11 inch rifle and one howitzer. She has been on this station about 3 months. She captured a large steamer…at the Rio Grande where she was previous to her coming here [it was] valued $1,000,000 it was named the Sir Wm. Peal…Sabine Pass…is about 240 miles from the Mexican waters…". Near fine.
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