Raynors HCA 2015-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 8pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. H. Arthur White [WIA Drewry's Bluff, Va., 5/16/64], Co. H., 25th Mass. Vols., Ferry Boat Eagle, Hatteras Inlet, Jan. 16, 1862, in part: "…I was aboard the gunboat Zouave and…she had sunk…through the providence of God there was no lives lost…we had to anchor on account of a dense fog which made it dangerous to go ahead. We anchored off the mouth of the Potomac…we had in tow a large coal boat which is fitted up as a sort of battery. (We have quite a number of them in the fleet.) It dragged very heavily and the Zouave…made but slow progress…the second day…we were boarded off The Rappahannock river by the U. S. Gunboats Mystic and Dawn who were blockading the river. They came aboard to get papers…to hear the news…we were insight of the rebel batteries at Sewell's Point…there…I first saw a rebel shell fired at outré flag…one of our steamers went down off the point which drew their fire…we were just leaving the bay. I begin to be sea sick…the next day as we neared Cape Hatteras the sea became rough and the soldiers were ordered below where we remained until anchored in the Inlet……most of the fleet came in that day. The water shallow…the bar on which the forts or breastworks are is very low and almost covered with water…the entrance of the Inlet is dangerous and we think that we struck as we passed in for…we found that the ship was filling with water. The pump was set aging…I had gone up…on deck when Capt. Hunt wanted some men to go to the ferry boat…and help weigh its anchor…I immediately volunteered…got her under weigh and she was brought to the side of the Zouave and part of the two companies…was past into her. We stayed by the Z. which had sunk in…about twelve feet of water. The gale…increased and we lashed the "Eagle" (the name of the ferry boat) to the wreck to keep from drifting …in the afternoon the rest of our boys who were on a tug boat joined us……that day was past by the fleet in trying to keep clear of one another…we past the next night in expectation of having to leave the Eagle…as she thumped hard against the Zouave…we got through all right…the gale went down…so that we could pass from one ship to another…yesterday was spent in sounding out the channel and getting vessels over the bulkhead…where we shall find water deep enough to float the fleet. One steamer the City of New York is on the reef…almost a total wreck part of the crew joined us…the Zouave & City of N. Y. are the only ship[s] that were lost. A great part of the Z will be saved…some say that she run onto an anchor…I guess she was pretty well strained before we started…if there had been water enough it would have been hard work to have got things off as we did. I did not lose anything save a towel, a plate and spoon…besides a knapsack which some of the boys lost being in the hold which was filled first…I was so busily engaged in other parts of the ship that I had to leave my things to take care of themselves…we hope to land somewhere soon…send my mail…to Genl. Burnside's Coast Division…I send you piece of the Zouave to remember it by. I took it from the bow…yesterday…your affectionate son, H. Arthur White." The original transmittal cover is included. A bit light with toning, else VG
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