Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
War-date Union soldier's battle letter, 3pp. 4to., written by Pvt. Daniel D. Barrows, Co. E, 9th Maine Vols., [later Signal Corps], Fort Walker, Camp Campbell, Hilton Head, Port Royal, S. C., Nov. 11, 1861, in part: "…my health is good exception of a bayonet wound I received the day we landed. It was a piece of d-d carelessness [by] a lazy devil leaving his musket on the ground after dark. The bayonet raised about a foot on a little hilloch. It struck me about half way to [the] knee taking a piece of the shin bone and striking the cord and artery…it has lamed me up nicely but I am hopes to get on duty in the course of two or three weeks. Our passage from Fortress Monroe was a terrible one. We had given up all hopes of making land, 6 foot of water in the hold. The ship straining terribly. When hanging on a sea her decks would part 3 feet. She was perfectly hogged. Her timbers wrenched apart and rotten…her name was the Goatsacoalcos of N. Y…if we had not come across the Wabash we should have been a goner. She piloted us into smooth water of Charleston Harbor where we had a fine view of Forts Sumter and Moultrie…the Charlestonians were in a hell of an uproar thinking we were to attack them, but we passed by and eased their minds…the old Bangor…Governor foundered in the gulf with all on board. She was loaded with horses and provision only about 200 men on board. We had 1200 men beside the crew. Our fleet consisted of about 200 sail, 20 gunboats, 3 steam frigates, 4 first class sloop of war…it was a formable battery…Port Royal is an inlet running back to Beaufort about 20 miles…Hilton Head is an island about 20 by 40 miles with a heavy battery of 28 rifled cannon [Fort Walker] on the south side of the inlet and another on the north side…our attention was first directed to the battery on the south side and after a bombardment of 5 hours by the Wabash, Susquehanna…the stars and stripes were hoisted on the battery , the rebels fleeing in confusion. The land forces were landing as fast as possible…the next morning the opposite battery on the main land was blown up leaving us in…possession of both…with the loss of only 13 men…the rebs must have lost…6 and 8 hundred and an immense amount of stores, guns, ammunition & etc. making a bully haul…next day two gun boats ran up to Beaufort…they found the city entirely deserted leaving us the entire control…between Savannah and Charleston…we knock hell out of them…the pickets are bringing in pigs, cattle, sheep…and all sorts of fixings…you will see them riding in some old mule loaded with turkey…D. D. Barrows". Minor spotting, else VG
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