Raynors HCA 2015-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015
A good war-date Union soldier's letter, 6pp. large folio & 4to, written by Sgt. John G. Abbott [MWIA Battery Wagner, S. C., July 18, 1863], Co. D, 48th New York Vols. (Perry's Saints), "Fort Fulean, Jones Island, S. C., March 23, [1862], in small part: "…we have finished the batteries but are at work on the large 11 inch Columbian which we captured at Braddock's Point. It is a pivot gun and was built in Charleston in 1861and has the CSA on her. We finished the parapets yesterday…to secure the gunners from the balls of the enemy…Gen. Viele told us…that Pulaski was to be attacked tomorrow…they say there are nearly half the of the men in the fort [are] Union men and will make but little resistance when attacked. The Col. in command at Pulaski is Col. Holstead of N Jersey. He was a major in the Regular army but the secesh promoted him to Colonency. He has 500 men in the fort and but 320 fit for duty. There are 50 guns in the fort, 22 ranging in Tybee, the rest on the water front. Last monday they fired a signal from Tibee to let us know that they was all ready for the attack and the two…deserters…say that it went through the hospital and tore off the north corner of the wall of the fort…they knew…that the fort would be deserted if they could get away…yesterday the British ship Fingal now a privateer…come down below Ft. Jackson but kept a good distance from our batteries…we have 4 gunboats to assist us…we live in a tent 6 ft long and 6 ft wide come together at the top like a roof…with fire in them we have little room for visitors…we get some grass or pine brows for a floor…at 8 again we have Tattoo and at 8 1/4 we have taps…for us to go to bed…tell father that hauling hay…was nothing but play to pulling cannon across Jones Island…First Sergts. gets 20 dollars and all the rest gets 17…Gen. Burnside has put a large feather in his cap…our Gen. Sherman is superseded by Gen. Hunter and he is here…on the island. He has put off the bombardment of Pulaski…he has fetched 12000 more men with him and Sherman is to take command of one of the brigades…Gen. Wright's brigade has charge of Brunswick, Ga., Fernandina and Jacksonville, Fla. and Steven's brigade is at at Beaufort Island. Our gun boats has not all come back from Florida…we have got to fight now Hunter…is a fast horse and will rush us right into Secesh…I am glad that Sherman is superseded. He is too lazy [and] we have all got the real fighting fever…I never heard of such a naval battle before as that with the Merrimack and Monitor. Ericson has made his fortune…they are about to build some more of the same stamp in New York…Col. Perry says he is sure that it will be over then [the war by the 4th July]…there is a place near the battery on the Flats where we found some stone and on examination found them to be clear flint stone…as they use for flint lock guns…". VG
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