Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
War-date Union soldier's battle letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Coleman Tilden, Co. H, 43rd Mass. Vols., "Hills Point, [Virginia], on Picket in woods one mile from camp, Apr. 22, 1863", to his parents concerning the opening of the rebel blockade of the Nansemond river above Suffolk, Virginia by a fleet of Union gunboats under the command of R. T. Renshaw at Battery Rodman and Hill's Point, on April 16, 1863, in part: "…I told you that the gunboats had been shelling the batteries…the rebs skedaddled and the next morning the transport Eagle…brought three companies of the 44th down here…towed them up to the battery and we landed and have been here ever since. It was a tremendous strong fort and was filled with bombproof so that while our gunboats were shelling the battery the men could get under cover…it was impossible for the gunboats to shell them out…Gen. Foster went down from Washington to Newbern to head an expedition himself and not trust to Spinola again. He started an expedition and it arrived here Sunday but the rebs had flown…the three companies of the 44th left here…our three companies are left here alone. The rest of our regiment is at Little Washington…our folks intend to hold this place now and a gang of darkies are at work here throwing up breastworks. We have got two guns mounted and will have more as soon as the darkies get more done. The gunboats lay right out in the river…and with their help two two hundred men could keep any quantity of rebels off…some of our regiments run the blockade. After it was thought that the enemy had left volunteers were called for to land in a boat to reconnoiter. Five of them volunteered and started. Just as they were ready to land a party of rebels fired at them and killed the chief engineer [Acting 3rd Asst. Engineer Thomas Mallahan] of one of the gunboats [USS Ceras] and wounded mortally, I believe, one of our man [Francis M. Tripp] a private in Co. E. [He survived his wounds.] It has been awful hot ever since we landed…our troops had no fighting at Blount's Creek this…time, but they had a chance to see the works there. It was a strong place and would have been hard to take…but could have been easily flanked…Gen. Foster would not have given up the fight if he had been there…that expedition to Charleston did not amount to much…the 23rd Mass. was among them. It is a noble set of men…the best regiment there is in Newbern…the rebels in North Carolina got desperate and thought that they might as well do something so tried & take Washington but it was a failure…they are a long ways off now…they also went around the country pressing men into the service. They got a great number from round here…every single regiment around here are down on the 44th on account of the way they talk and act. They do not take a very good way to make friends…Coleman." The original stamped transmittal cover is included. VG.
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