Captain Augustus Alonzo Hoit 8th Maine Letter Group

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015

A good group war-date Union officer's five (5) letters, totaling 13pp. various size letter sheets, written by Captain Augustus Alonzo Hoit, Co. G, 8th Maine Vols. (later captain 34th USCT). These letters read, in part: "…[Ellsworth, Me., August 26, 1861]…I arrived here at about two o'clock p. m…Emerson, and Wm. Whitten about four o'clock. We enlisted that evening at about six o'clock. Green Seamanson had enlisted two days previously…the Capt. sent us to board at Mr. Foster's the ex landlord of the Ellsworth House. We are all nice and comfortable…there are already 22 men in our company and they begin to come in rapidly…we shall have a fine company. I am appointed drill sergeant…we are to drill two hours each day. We expect to leave for Augusta about the first of next week. We shall then receive our uniforms and equipments. I do not know when we shall be ordered on to Washington…we expect to remain there two or three months…before being called into active service…it will require that length of time [to] get the regiment well disciplined. I hope to see some more of our Goldsboro chaps in our company before we leave. The state allows us $2.50 to pay our board while here and we live like fighting cocks for that sum…your in love, Alonzo…[on board Steamer Ariel, Hampton Roads, Oct. 22, 1861]…we…arrived here and find an enormous fleet of steamers and when we came…the fifteen large steamers of our own fleet it makes such a fleet as was never seen before. We shall probably remain here two or three days…then the whole fleet of transports, accompanied by thirty war steamers will proceed to sea…we shall not know till we get to sea where we are going…[Tybee Island, Ga., May 20, 1862]…I received…Mary's likeness. The likeness is a poor concern but very much better than yours which I received a few days since. It is very strange that you cannot distinguish between a good likeness and a poor one. However I am glad you had then taken for there is no denying that a poor picture is better than none…the water here is brackish and cause dysentery…we have a few cases of typhoid fever…I sent $38.00 to N. York…for clothing as my clothes are very badly worn. Most of the officers have had new suits more than two months. I get along as prudently as possible…[Seabrook, S. C., June 21, 1862, incomplete]…we have had a great deal of rain lately. During a shower Thursday night one man in our Regt. and one man in the 5th R. I. Regt. were struck by lightening and instantly killed…I will send you an old paper containing a view of Seabrook, S. C…there are not half enough trees. My headquarters is surrounded by trees so that the sun can scarcely penetrate the house…the house is placed 3 feet above the ground and is well finished. It has six fireplaces and was splendidly furnished-some of the furniture being left…by the rebel Seabrook. We have some pretty good times foraging among the rebels…when about 6 miles from Seabrook, we were obliged to pass a point occupied by the rebel cavalry. I had 15 men in the boat so I did not think it prudent to land for I did not know what force the rebels might have. I kept a good lookout but could not absolve any rebels, but I was confident they were there. There is a very large plantation house there among the trees [ends here]…[Beaufort, S. C., Aug. 7, 1862]…you seem to find fault with one of my letters …you do not understand me at all and never did…I fear [and] never will…I was not surprised…that Hayde had taken advantage of you…he would not take advantage of me because he could not…a man who would take advantage of a woman just because she was a woman would be mean indeed more especially if the woman were his sister…my 2nd Lieut. was put under arrest by Lt. Col. [Joseph F.] Twitchell…for willful disobedience of orders. If Lt. Brown does not apologize to the Col. and perform his duty better…he will be tried by a court martial. Whiskey was the cause of the trouble. Lt. Brown is trying to make the company think that I am at the bottom of it. I wish to get him out for the purpose of giving Emerson a commission. I had nothing to do with the affair and he knows it, but if he gets drunk again he will find out that I shall have something to do about it. He makes me a great deal of trouble with his drinking and carousing and I am tired of it. What do you think of sending Guptill to school this winter…Gen. Brannan has excused us from all drills on account of the hot weather. The 7th N. H. is encamped in a splendid grove close by us and they suffer very much from the heat, losing four men yesterday from sun stroke besides having more sick from the same cause. We are encamped where there are no trees and suffer no inconvenience from the heat. The rest of the companies of our Reg. are making a savings in rations while my Co. eat their allowance and would eat more if they could get it…your in love, Alonzo." More interesting content. Overall VG. 5 pcs

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