Raynors HCA 2017-09
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 9/7/2017
A good war-date Union surgeon's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Asst. Surgeon William C. Towle 12th Maine Vols., Camp Parapet, [Carrolton, La.], Feb. 4, 1864, to his wife, in part: "…what a narrow escape Kathie had didn't she? It made me shudder when I read her account of it…I should think that quite a hard case of the Wentworth girl if the ball [had] entered her lung…Dr. [Eldridge A.] Thompson was here…he has not recd. his commission yet. He thinks it strange that another Asst. Surg. has been appointed…he thinks is impossible for him to be mustered in as our Regt is below the minimum. He says that it is heart rending to see the poor families coming in our lines…they are mostly women and children. They are ragged and many of them in a starving condition. They all seem anxious to get out of the Confederacy. A good many of them come all the way from Mobile…there are two companies of the 2d Louisiana Regt coming here to the Parapet. Suppose I shall have to take care of them. I was out to the Lake day before yesterday and examined nineteen men out of Co. E. Among them I found T. M. Keniston's boy. He has reenlisted [and] makes a very good soldier. There is an old Scotch planter lives up the coast who has taken quite a liking to me. He gave a grand ball for the darkies last Friday night in his sugar house and invited me. It was an old fashioned darkie break down. It is the first of the kind I ever saw and I enjoyed it very much. The negro enters into the dance with his whole spirit. There is no half way work about it…then the music two violins, tambourines, banjo and…the bones. Sometimes the musicians unable to keep their seats would rise [among] us. The excitement of the dancers increased, twist their bodies into [?] shapes, jump up and down, sing etc. I don't know when I have laughed so much…it did me a great deal of good. There were quite a number of officers there. Their supper consisted of bread and ham..the planter is very good to his slaves though a great many of them have left him…W. C. T." The original transmittal cover is included. A bit light, but readable, else VG
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