Raynors HCA 2016-10
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/21/2016
A great Civil War Union Signal Corp man's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written, on "UNION" patriotic stationery, by Pvt. Elias L. Buterbuagh, Crose Nest [Crow's Nest], "Mortar Battery on the James river," August 20, 1864, in pnart: "…things are all quiet now. This morning the rebel ram come down the river and threw a few shells into Dutch Gap but it done no damage. The Howlett house battery [Parker's Virginia Battery] is the worst for they are such large guns. When she opens she can shell all over the high bluff. On the 16th we had a big cannonading. The Howlett house battery…the rebel rams…our monitors…iron clads and all our batteries was firing for about three hours. The rebs shelled us off our station. We had to shelter under a hill. The shells went over our heads. The ram kept up firing all night and we had a 100 pounder that was firing at the ram…the reason that the rebs is shelling duck gap [is that] we are digging across…duck (sic) gap. The river is so crooked that it forms an S that is what is called duck gap and by digging across we can shun all torpedoes and the Howlett house battery. Then we can run our monitors and our gunboats up the river…it rains almost every day. The roads is getting muddy. We heard heavy cannonading at Petersburg last night. It don't look much like Grant taking Richmond at the present…the rebels had drove the 2 and tenth Corps back…just now the rebel ram is commencing to fire into the gap…you speak of…trying to raise money by laying a tax for to hire substitutes…it is a very wrong thing to try to send all the money out of the state and then the men have to go…every body that is not liable to the draft ought to oppose it…four o'clock in the evening. The rebel's is shelling duck gap and also the mortar battery again. Gen. Butler is at duck gap now. Their shells has had not much affect…there has only one man been wounded today. He had his arm shot off. That is all that has been down today…your affectionate son, Elias L. Buterbaugh…". The original stamped transmittal cover is included.
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