Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
War-date Union soldier's letter, 5pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Daniel D. Barrows, Co. E, 9th Maine Vols., [later Signal Corps], Black Island near Morris Island, S. C., Nov. 16, 1863, in part: "…every soldier on extra duty was relieved…by citizens. Our Regt only stopped five days on Morris Island…I volunteered for duty at the front. I was at the front the day the last bombardment commenced…there was music. Wagner, Gregg, our new three hundred pound battery and the Swamp Angel all opened at on Sumpter and Johnson. The rebs answering briskly. The shot and shell flew around our heads like hail stones. Wagner and Gregg are two hard looking places. From Gregg it is only a short rifle shot to Sumpter. We could see every shot strike and the way the brick ad mortar flew was a caution. It seems most impossible for a man to live inside the fort. They are now building a line of mortar batteries from Wagner to Gregg and expect to get forty more mortars in operation in a few days. When…an assault wi;; be made on Sumpter by infantry and the batteries will all open on Sullivan's Island where Moultrie is situated and probably fifty other batteries. Our Regt is situated on a small island which is the extreme outpost. We are within 3/4 of a mile of James Island where there is a perfect net work of batteries in plain view. We are in plain sight of Sumpter, Moultrie and about all the harbor defences about Charleston…we have a fine view of the city and with a glass can plainly see the people traveling about the streets…they could give s fits if they commenced shelling us as it is a small island…if we could only get at the Devils in a fair fight I would give my old hat and throw in a week's work with my musket but as things are we have the worst of it…as soon as we clear the way for the iron clad fleet which has done a mere nothing as yet there will be one of the most terrible bombardments ever known. As for Morris Island it is a perfect sepulcher for the dead. One can hardly run a shovel into the sand without striking a dead body…at the time of the taking of Wagner the stench was so great the men could scarcely endure it. Beside the killed there have been hundreds died form disease…my name has been handed into the chief signal officer…some think I shall join that Corps for the remainder of my time…Daniel D. Barrows…". Minor stopping, else VG
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