Raynors HCA 2015-08
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/27/2015
War-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. John C. Hicks, [DOD Camp wood, Miss., 9/20/63], Co. H, 35th Iowa Vols, [n. p., n. d., but Island No. 10, Tenn., ca. mid February 1863 to several close family members, concerning the capture on Feb. 13, 1863 of the CSS Steamer Rowena, loaded with medical supplies detained for the Confederate army, by the USS New Era while she was guarding the Union garrison at Island No. 10. Hicks also goes into great detail about the scenes of destruction he witnessed upon Island No. 10 fully a year after the battle, in part: "…we have a grate old time down on Island Ten. I wish you could take a peep onto the Island & see what the ten inch shells done that ware thrown out of our ten inch mortars from the Missouri shore. Where ever one of them shell[s] would strike the ground. It would tare the ground for ten feet…& from four to five foot deep. Pieces of shell & old chunks of old iron that the shell was filled with lays pretty thick all over the ground. The timber lays every which way…there was some eight or ten thousand Rebels on the Island at the time it was shell…they must have suffered bad…there isn't half an acre…that one of them shells didn't strike…the Island has the appearance of being well fortified before the shelling began. I don't see how any of them escaped death…the 15th Wis. regiment has been here veer since or rather part of the regiment trying to get things in shape but [Brig. Gen. Thomas A.] Davies sent a major down here and raised hell with what they had done. Dam him. I would like to practice on him as a target…I had a chance to go to Memphis with a contraband boat…she was a small boat but she was a big prize. She was loaded with quinine and other medicine. She was prized at 48 thousand dollars…the gun boat boys get two thirds of what she was prized at. She was again to the rebel army. She had run the blockade all the way down the river until she came here…one shot across her bowe brought her to…so she turned in and came along side the gun boat. They took them all prisoners and sent the boat to Memphis…Genie, I don't want you to dream any bad dreams about me for that will never do. You neadent think you can get me shot by dreaming I was for I am coming home all right…then I will thrash you for dreaming bad on me. Cal tells me she has bad dreams about me. Some of you must try and dream something good in order to have the good equal the bad…we perhaps will leave this Island soon…adieu from your B[ro], J. C. Hicks…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG
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