Fighting Forrest on the Water

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/28/2005

A truly historic letter that outlines the naval operations of the USS Fairy against Confederate Cavalryman Nathan B. Forrest, three pages, quarto, "U. S. S. Fairy, Mound City, Il., Nov. 11, 1864", reading, in small part: "…at one o'clock pm on the 1st inst. we started for our destination. Cleared [the] ship for action and beat to quarters…at Six Forty five p. m. we anchored for the night. At Six ten a. m. weighed anchor and steamed up the river…came to anchor…at Green Bottom Bar, a distance of Three hundred [miles]…we reached Fort Heiman and drove what was there, wounding four or five. We fired 12 times. After scouting…we passed the fort…at Three o'clock p.m. we opened Batteries at the rebels at Danville. Fired 31 rounds…driving them from their camp. We were kept at quarters until 9 o'clock when we were dismissed…we opened fire on the Rebs at Cairo Landing…succeeded in repulsing after shelling for one hour…at 9 we were ordered…to reconnoiter…came across some batteries which we fought for Forty Eight hours. When we were compelled to retreat. We fired 300 shots…within one mile of Johnsonville [we] found four rebel batteries planted along the bank to prevent our…reinforc[ing] our troops. A terrific cannonading was kept up all day…where the Rebs had their batteries, the river was not fifty feet wide…at Johnsonville the gun boats could not come down, so we were divided in two. The ones at the turn fought until every particular of…ammunition was exhausted…at last they were run ashore and burned. We [had] done all in our power to reinforce them but it was of no use. Cannonading had almost ceased. The fort would now and then send a shell to the invading foe. You talk about fires…when you see ten transports and three gun boats burn [then] you can talk. It lighted the ground for sixty miles. These…boats…were burned at the landing…five were burned between Paducah and Johnsonville making a total of eighteen. Each one was worth not less than Twenty Five thousand dollars…". More interesting content. Original transmittal envelope is included with usual wear and soiling affecting both, else very good.

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