Raynors HCA 2015-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2015
A good war-date Union officer's letter, 2pp. folio, written by Captain Augustus Alonzo Hoit, Co. A, 34th USCT or 2nd South Carolina, (former captain 8th Maine Vols), Morris Island, S. C., May 6, 1864, in part: "…the rebs give us a volley of mortar shells occasionally…without much damage…they can keep about 32 large shells in the air at once…we can keep nearly double that…in the air…if we wish. I am in command of a battery of four large guns two of which are Parrotts. The name of my battery is Purveyance after Col. Purveyance who was killed here last summer. It is on the lower part of Morris Island, close the Light House Inlet commands Secessionville on James Island. I can reach several batteries on James Island, but I am not allowed to fire as much as I wish…last week I was field officer of the rents at the upper end of the island and had the pleasure of sending a 100 pounder Parrott shell into Charleston and four more into Sumpter. I…laugh heartily to hear the rebs in Sumpter cry out "cover" when ever they saw the flash of our guns…many times I have been glad to "cover" from Sumpter's shells…many a time there was no cover…then all that could be done was to watch the pieces of shells as they fell around…Sumpter is a confounded bug-bear and Gen. Gillmore is a great humbug…allowing the enemy to hold a fort as near to our own batteries…I can hit Sumpter from Gregg every time with a Parrott gun and even our muskets will throw a ball over Sumpter. So accurate is the fire of the 300 pounder parrot gun which is mounted between Wagner and Gregg that the rebs keep the embrasures of Fort Moultrie filled with bags of sand in order to prevent their guns being dismounted…there are only four small regiments on this island…there used to be over twenty…yours in love, Alonzo…". Minor toning, else VG
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