Raynors HCA 2015-08
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2015
A good collection of four (4) Civil War naval documents and letters related to the role U. S. Navy officer 3rd Assistant Engineer Augustine Sackett played in the capture of New Orleans. Included in the group are his two very detailed accounts of the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Phillips as part of Farragut's fleet. Stationed in the fire and engine rooms of the USS Wissahickon during the early morning passage of the forts on April 24, 1862, Sackett played a key role in helping propel the ship through the passage of the forts. First in this group is his post-war manuscript account, 3pp. legal size folio, [n. p., but most likely at his residence in New York City], May 30, 1894, reading, in very small part: "During the bombardment of Forts Jackson and St. Philip by the mortar boats, the gunboats of which the Wissahickon was one, were engaged in patrol duty…one boat the Oneida received a shot. After six days and nights of this wearing…exciting duty…it was announced that the fleet were to attempt to run the gauntlet of forts. This was on the evening of April 23d 1862. In view of…a perilous move, the officers of our mess wrote letters home…as it did not happen to be my watch in the engine room I went to bed…after midnight tarpaulins were placed over the engine and fire room hatches to prevent light from them making a target…my station was in the fire room in charge of the boilers…blower and pumping engine…we were in the first division…the thunder of the cannonading began. We were almost constantly stopping, starting…it was important not to blow off steam as that would make a good mark…a rather difficult task. This was a part of my especial duty and it made necessary to run the blower a part of the time. This was run by an auxiliary engine…the pulley…was keyed on to the engine shaft and during the night the key came out twice…and was quickly replaced. The noise of our guns…those of our fleet and the forts…was terrific. Our boat was struck many times but no one was killed…when we had nearly completed the run a 32 pounder solid shot probably from the rebel gunboat McRae…struck us on the starboard side, passing through the plank shear, just above the deck…striking one of the safety valve weights…breaking the weight and bending the lever…I saved one of the pieces of this shot…some shot struck the smoke stack…the damper was jammed…it forced…blue flame from the furnaces into the fire room, filling it with suffocating fumes…a man [was] sent on deck to force the damper open…soon the cheers on deck assured us that we had been successful…the sun was just rising. We were above the forts-several rebel gunboats were lying with their bows on the banks of the river burning. The rebels ran them aground and jumped off. The Mississippi was very near us her band playing "Dixie". She was soon sent to finish off the rebel ram Manassas…while I stood there a shot struck one of the chain stays of our smoke sacks, broke it and one end swung against a black man, a contraband who had only been on board a few day and was working with the crew of the eleven inch gun…he was the only one seriously hurt. The piece of 32 pounder shot referred to…was a little more than one half of the shot. Another shot of the same size…struck a little further aft…it entered just over the bunk of the Executive Officer came diagonally forward and passed through the dish locker of the engineer's mess, making havoc with the dishes, into the engine room…barely missing the Engineer…Mr. [Thomas S.] Cunningham. The thickness of oak passed through…was about 20 inches. Augustine Sackett, 3d Asstant Engineer, U. S. S. Gunboat Wissahickon…". Sackett concludes his account by adding several drawing that shows the path the above mentioned rebel shell took into the Wissahickon's fire room. Second in this group is his type written transcript of his original April 23-27, 1862 concerning their running of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Phillips. The transcript is, 5pp. legal size folio, [New York City], March 29, 1912, reads in very, very small part: "Tonight we are to attempt to run the blockade…our station is a little ahead of the middle…we got under way soon after dark…there were 17 steamers in the line…at 2 A. M. the flagship signalled the fleet to get up anchor…the sky was clear…the mortars were pouring their shells in…the steamers in line looked dark and mysterious…about half past 2 the "rattle was sprung" and each man went to his post…I was stationed in the engine and fire room. Mr. White, the engineer from the Colorado my senior had charge…about 3.15, the fleet had got fairly under way and at 3.40 the first shot was fired from the fort…a water battery of about 6 guns was placed a little below Fort Phillip…one shot from our 11 in. gun silenced it…4.15, the shot and shell fairly rained down…balls whistling by us in every direction…we were so near, 3 or 400 yards off, that they did not seem to know how to fire at us…opposite Fort Phillip we ran aground…we got above the fort and discovered the "ram"…she made for us…about that time the rebel steamer "McRae" commenced firing at us…was mistaken…for the Iroquios…we discovered the mistake and replied with or guns. She hit us several times…[mentions the shot that hit the weight here]…we came very near getting aground, on account of the Iroquios…almost crowding us ashore…about 5…heard a cheer on deck…the ram was some way behind slowly coming up towards us. She was a mysterious looking thing…like the roof of a house with smokestacks …it was then very evident that the day was ours…the Mississippi went down and finished the Ram. She was deserted and…exploded…the Varuna was ahead of all; she sunk with her colors flying…the Morgan sink the Varuna by running into her…a little before 6, thirteen of us came up together with our colors flying…we steamed up about 5 miles above the forts…a rebel regiment…surrendered. U. S. flags were substituted for the rebels' "bars"…everyone…was almost wild with enthusiasm…our success was considered almost miraculous…". Finally, there are two partly-printed ca. 1874 Treasury Department, Washington, D. C., documents concerning his share of prize money owed for the capture of the city of New Orleans. Interestingly, the government acknowledges that they owe him $283.21 for the act. Overall VG to near fine.
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.