Raynors HCA 2019-01
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/21/2019
A great war-date Union Naval officer's letter, 5 1/2pp., 8vo., written by Third Assistant Engineer George S. Paul (1837-1900), from the ironclad U. S. S. Nahant, Port Royal, S. C., April 7, [1863] to his mother, in part: "…last Wednesday I left the N[ahant] for Beaufort, took a small boat over to Hilton Head and called on Major Corwin of the Sec. S. C. or 34th U. S. [Colored Troops]…he introduced me to Lieut. West…who was going to B…we went down to the wharf…found the "Wyoming"…ready to start. She…used to run from South ferry to Staten Island…a few moments Gen. Saxton came down and the boat started. He had been down on a court martial trying Gen. Gordon. Saxton is a captain in the Regular Army and came down here as chief Quartermaster-after being down here some little while he married a young lady whose name was Thompson. She was pretty wealthy…that gave him a start…now he is Brig. Gen. and Military Gov. of S. C. We were about an hour…from H. H. to B. The river is about one mile wide and a good part of the way there is nothing but marsh…Beaufort…at one time contained…twelve hundred inhabitants. It was the watering place for the South Carolinians. The dwelling are all wood…to look down a street you see such looking houses as Sill's…most of them have good sized yards and splendid door yards…but most of the fences are destroyed and everything is fast going to decay. The houses are all occupied by settlers, army officers, Gideonites or darkies. The Gideonites are those who come down to teach and take care of the darkies and…are called Gids. There is regular martial law here…there are fifteen or twenty darky schools in then town. All are taught by young ladies….they are down here as officer's society…in B…I got completely tired of the place during my stay I became acquainted with a tease…and everyone asked me to drink…at the saloons nothing stronger than ale & wine…but, I suppose, the patients are better without the whiskey. There are a good many good looking yellow girls here who generally keep house for…the officers…one week ago…our Second Cutter pulled a three mile race with the [USS] Passaic S. C., both oared boats, the bet was one hundred dollars…there was over one thousand dollars changed hands…it was one of the closest matches ever known…our Cutter beat half a length…since then our India Rubber Boat (Baltzer) raced with the Catskill's Baltzer, distance one mile in which we beat them 1/2 mile so our men are now champion of the creek. We are now having spring tide and the marsh is overflowed at high tide and the…marsh hens…have to swim for it…we all go out in little boats, each with a musket and have a fine time shooting them…it was so dark we could hardly find our way back to the N[ahant]…your aft. son, George." Minor soiling, else VG
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