Raynors HCA 2015-05
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2015
A good war-date Union officer's battle letter, 1 1/3pp. 4to., written by Captain Augustus Alonzo Hoit, Co. A, 34th USCT or 2nd South Carolina, (former captain 8th Maine Vols), "Camp 34th U. S. C. T., Deveaux Neck, near Charleston & Savannah railroad, [S. C.], Dec. 15, 1864," in part: "…Dec. 4th the 34th U. S. C. T. & the 144th N. Y. Vols. moved to the front 5 miles but found no enemy. I had command of our Regt. Dec. 5th two more Regts advanced and had a skirmish and returned to camp…Dec. 6th embarked on board steamers and moved about 15 miles to this place…we advanced about 4 miles fighting all the way and encamped about 3/4 miles from the railroad. The enemy lost heavily, our own loss being small. Dec. 7th 5 a. m. the rebs made a furious attack on our lines and continued to fight till 11 o'clock a. m. when they retreated behind their works at the rail road. The rebs lost heavily. Our loss was about 96 killed & wounded. Dec. 9th our artillery opened a tremendous fire on the rebs at 9 a. m. After firing about half an hour we advanced and met the enemy in the woods and commenced fighting and kept it up till dark when the rebs beat a hasty retreat…we returned to camp pretty well tired out. Our loss was 156 killed and wounded. The rebel loss was much greater. I had command of the battalion during the fight…I did my duty. The loss in our Reg was comparatively light…today we opened fire on the rail road from a battery of 30 pounder Parrotts…Gen. Sherman has invested Savannah…we can hear the bombardment very distinctly it being but 40 miles from here. Every thing seems to be moving along about right…Yours in love, Alonzo." Toned, else VG
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