Raynors HCA 2015-02
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/19/2015
A historic war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Benjamin A. Merrill, Co. K, 50th Mass. Vols. [KIA as Corp., 59th Mass. Vols., battle of Spotsylvania C. H., Va., May 12, 1864], "Camp Bank, Union [Race] Course [now a subdivision in Woodhaven, Queens], Long Island, New York, Nov. 26, 1862," to his friend Dave giving a rare description of the Billinghurst-Requa machine gun, in which the 18th New York Rifles, "The Billinghurst Battery" had four of these twenty-five barreled guns developed by New York State inventor and dentist Dr. Josephus Requa (1833-1910), in part:"…when we were coming into New York harbor I saw the Great Eastern, not such a great thing…to hear them tell [it] she is a large ship…but I was disappointed in her looks…when Bank's great expedition goes down south you may look for good news…the 15 N. H., 41st Mass., 52 Mass, 42 Mass, 50th Mass. and 18th New York Rifle Battery of 1 hundred guns shoots eight times a minute…when I say one hundred guns I do not mean such as the Tenth Mass. Bat[tery]…there are 4 carriages such as the Tenth but with 25 guns such as the rifles that Gardner Spofford had [and they are] on each carriage, locked with steal gripes. They throw about 62 to the pound each so you can judge the size of each gun. There [is] a fence 8 or 10 feet high around here [the race track] where we are encamped but the boys have torn most of it down. The track is just 1 mile and 3 feet round…Lt. Runlett [James H. Randlett] has throne up his commission as LT of Co. K, gone to join Gen. Bank's staff. He is one of the signal [officers on] his staff…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG
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