Raynors HCA 2014-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 11/6/2014
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Halsey Bartlett, Co. A., 6th Conn. Vols., [KIA Bermuda Hundred, Va., 6/17/64], Beaufort, S. C., Feb. 8, 1863 to his sister, in part: "…we are to have an Expedition start from here soon for Charleston. Commodore Dupont is going up with his Iron Clads and going to bombard Charleston. Quite a number of regiments are going…there was a prize captured at the Charleston Blockade. [It was] an English steamer, tried to run the blockade…and was fired into and captured. A smart battle took place in which the Ram at Charleston ran into one of the boats and burst her boiler. One of our boats was sunk and thirty privates and one sergeant was killed. Cargo of the prize consisted of six steam engines and six steel prows and Iron enough to Iron six gun boats and medicines, provisions, ammunition…her cargo was prized at two million and a half dollars…". The British owned Princes Royal was observed laying off the bar of Charleston Harbor by the U. S. S. Unadilla at 3:30 in the morning on January 29, 1863. Lieutenant Commander Stephen P. Quackenbush of the Unadilla pursued and seized the steamer after she had run aground near Long Island. Quackenbush found the steamer mostly abandoned by the crew and passengers, but onboard was a very valuable cargo of machinery and arms which were to be used to outfit a Confederate ironclad fleet. VG to near fine.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.