Raynors HCA 2017-12
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/7/2017
A great war-date Union officer's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by 2nd Lt. Ira F. Gensel, 4th United States Regular Infantry, [MWIA Fredericksburg, Va., 12/13/62 died 12/28/62], "On Board the Steamer Elm City, Potomac River", [n. d., but most likely Aug. 21, 1862], in part: "The few hurriedly penned lines from Newport News…will tell you of my leaving that miserable place…from the name…it was a place of some size and importance but it is neither-like everything in Va. it has a big name…here is the river the Merrimac attacked and sunk two of our ships of war the Cumberland and Congress. The first lays some distance out in the river. The mast sticking up denote when se went down. The Congress is quite near the shore. On both of them there was a large amount of treasure and…an attempt will be made to raise them. The trios being all on board…a shrill whistle and on we are off. The Em City is the fastest and best steamer in the employ of the government…all felt secure as she glided down the James River. The sight was grand…at one o'clock however…a crash…one of the Baltimore line of steamers has run into our steamer. She is thought to be in a sinking condition…we are thirty miles from land. She has 1100 men on board. Imagine then the excitement and confusion. The captain…soon had a small boat lowered and proceeded to make an examination of her condition and…proclaimed…she would not go down…how many gloomy…circumstances were brightened by this intelligence. All night the carpenters and pumps have been at work…she was pronounced capable of carrying us to our destination…we are running slowly not more than three miles an hour and will not reach Acquia Creek until night……fortunate for us there is no storm or we would have all found a watery grave. What a very different aspect the country presents…it now green and beautiful and looks grand, but how different my feelings…from then as we said down the Potomac. The grand army was en route for the Peninsula. The country was assured and the people believed that the rebellion would soon be crushed…yet dear Annie the day seems yet far distant…the campaign of the Peninsular has been a failure. Millions of dollars have been expended and thousands of lives have been lost…comparatively nothing has been accomplished. I don't censure McClellan. I believe him the greatest general we have…but I blame some one…history will point out who is the guilty one…when I get to Fredericksburg will write you again…Ira. The original stamped transmittal cover is included. Minor toning, else VG
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