Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 2pp. large folio, written, on captured Confederate partly-printed groceries' letterhead, by Pvt. Robert H. Crist (1829-1912), Co. F, 21st Indiana Vols., [later captain 1st Ind. Hvy. Artillery], Brashear City, La., Nov. 15, 1862, in part: "…we left Camp Parapet…on…26th of Oct. and came around the mouth of the river in the steam ship St. Mary…came on with two gunboats and landed…here 20 moils from the mouth of Atchafaly River…Brashear City is a R. R. station on the river…quite a number of very good houses but most of the people left…Gen. Weitzel drove the Rebs out of the country between New Orleans and here. The[y] passed over the river here just before we arrived. They rolled a grant many bbls of sugar into the bay before they left…the shore is lined with bbls…we are starving for sugar…I shot an alligator…he was about 5 or 6 feet long…the boys gather a great many chickens, turkeys, pigs…some sailors off the gunboats stole an old Irish woman's (2) pigs. She haunted the officers of the boat and our acting Qr. Master till we ace her a cow we had stole…there are a great many Irish widows in this country. They have a great deal of trouble with theta soldiers. Our gunboats went up the Bay's river…and found a Rebel gunboat and some land forces. They shelled each other a while. We had 3 men killed. The river was blockaded by a broken bridge. Our boats could not get to them. Our boats has been back several times since but can effect nothing…quite a number of deserters come into our lines…conscripts and several citizens come in for protection…they are a hard looking set, dirty, lousy, barefoot, hungry…the rebs took most of the niggers with them. There is a few left but we keep them out of our lines. What are left here are so built up with the idea of freedom [that] they wont work. Their master & mistresses put on long faces…the prisoners say the Reb troops live on corn bread…we cannot afford to feed darkees. An ammunition car blew up on the R. Road a few days ago…killed 11 men, 3 of our Regt & the orderly Sergt. of Co. F…the Rebs burned the bridge 9 miles from here and the cars have just commenced running…our boys have captured quite a number of books…so we have considerable reading matter. I found this paper in a store. I captured a coffee pot…one of our Lts. was killed and 1 Lt. had both his legs shot off by a shell bursting as it left the gu. General Butler has issued orders that leave no chance for officers to steal sugar & cotton…". The original stamped transmittal cover with patriotic device attached is included. Near fine.
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