2004-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/31/2004
Fine content Autograph Letter Signed by Alston Hamilton, 14p. small quarto, In Camp near El Caney, Santiago de Cuba, August 6, 1898, addressed “My dear General” with fine detailed hand-colored maps of the island and encampments, it reads in part: “...Tonight is the first time that I have been able to answer your very welcome...letter.I haven’t seen anything of Colonel Roosevelt; but as you know he is in Wheeler’s Division and I am in Lawton’s or rather in Randolph’s Brigade of Lt. Artillery, now that there is no longer any fighting. We were attached to Lawton’s Division at El Caney and at the two days fight at Santiago, in fact, during all the fighting. Randolph arrived with the other Artillery ‘just in time to be late’ & they didn’t get a chance to fire a shot. A of the 2nd - E of the 1st - F of the 2d & K of the 1st were the only batteries that did any firing. The 2nd Massachusetts Infantry did splendid work at El Caney and did far better than any other militia that were here. What I saw down here convinced me that our regular army can be excelled in fighting qualities by none on earth, man for man. I hope to be able to get you one of the 45 calibre cartridge cases used by the Massachusetts Regiment at the Block house at El Caney...The fighting was not attended with great danger to us, as we fired at 2400 yards during most of the fight. At El Caney, and at 1000 yards during part of it. This was on July 1st. On July 10th & 11th we were entrenched within 800 yards of the Spainish lines and many shells and Mauser bullets passed close to us. The Spainards had 24 cannons and we had 24; we silenced their guns for good in about an hour and a half. I will try to draw you a rough sketch of the threatre of operations [includes 6 pages of sketches]...July 1st evening left for Santiago by road from El Caney. ...at 2 am July 2 left for San Juan via El Caney & Sevilla. Dug gun pits at San Juan July 2. LEft San Juan July 3d. P.M. arrived on road to Santiago where we had encamped July 1 & went into camp...July 5 took up position on firing line & dug gun pits. Began firing 4:30 PM, July 10. Fired until 6pm. Began firing July 11 at 6:15 am, fired until 1:30 pm. Truce till 17th when Santiago surrendered....” Sketches include those of different angles of the gun pits as well as detailed overviews of El Caney and Santiago. VG.
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