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Lot #
127
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The Hampton Legion Opens Fire On Union Vessel While Patrolling The Potomac
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| War-date Confederate soldier's letter by Sgt. Leonard Williams, Hampton Legion, South Carolina Cavalry, 3p. 4to., pencil, Camp Griffin, Virginia, September 26, 1861, and reads in part: "...I am now having quite a holiday. I am still with a remnant of our company at the old camp & have nothing at all to do except seeing to posting the guards in the morning which does not occupy more than 10 minutes. The rest of our company...are encamped about 8 miles off near the Potomac. The batteries that have been put up lately in the neighborhood of their camp opened fire on the vessels yesterday & was returned. They had a pretty sharp brush & one of their vessels was disabled & had to be carried off by a tugboat, the firing was renewed this morning. The legion & also many other regiments are stationed nearly from 2 to 5 miles distant in order to pounce upon the enemy if they land, but I have no idea they will attempt to do so....we can hear the guns & if they should make a landing our camp here will be deserted...we will be immediately sent for if an engagement is likely to take place. Our Generals are, I think, exceedingly cautious & I do not know what they are waiting for, it may be they propose acting entirely on the defensive & if so it may be months before they attack us. I do not however know that they intend to pursue simply a defensive policy, if offensive, the onward movement may be commenced at any moment, we know nothing here of what is on foot if it be the purpose of those in authority to carry the war into Africa. I think they have no time to lose..." Apparently, incomplete, but otherwise excellent content. Fine. | |||||||||||
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