Mounting Her Breastworks While The USS Weehawken Is Torpedoed

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 5/21/2021

A good war-date Confederate soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., on adversity paper, written by Pvt. Bartlett Ellis Scarborough, Co. H, 31st North Carolina Infantry, [MWIA Drewry's Bluff, Va. May 15, 1864, DOW Richmond, Va., June 7, 1864], "Camp 31 No. C. Troops, James I. S. C., Sept. 12, 63, to Miss. Lydia F. Blake. Morris Island was exposed to Federal attack following Battery Wagner's evacuation by Confederate forces in August, 1863 and Rear Admiral John P. Dalhgren knew it. He ordered an attack, but before doing so he ordered the USS Weehawken between Morris Island and Fort Sumter. The naval attack failed miserably after the USS Weehawken struck a torpedo and sank. Scarborough's letter, reads, in part: "àyou have seen, an account of all the fights around Charleston ere this timeàalso a true account of the affair about the sinking of that vessel [USS Ironclad Weehawken]. You asked meàabout how long I thought the Yankees would stay around here and how long before they would repent for their sins. [Well] Miss. Lydia that time is fast approachingàthey are very still today and have been for several days pastàI am in hopes that they have repented and will let our boys come back to the good old North [Carolina] state for I am very anxious to come back once more. Our fair is very common here and our duty is hard thoàwe will stand all the hard ship of this war with patienceàOh! Miss. LydiaàI should like very much to be at F. [Fayetteville] to walk around with you, to look at the breast work [and] around the place, also to spend some few hours with youàI saw Mr. Keelàhis is well and sends his kindest regardsàyou must not let the yankees get you. If they do make a raid in N. CàI don't want the villains to get any of the ladys of my acquaintance neither do, I want them to take any other. I have been looking for them to come up in N. Carolina for some timeàthey will soon have possession of all the lower part of the state for we do not have troops in N. C. at present to save it from the enemyàyour sincere friend, Bartlett Ellis Scarborough. N. B. Mr. Stegall asked me something about my trip at L. H. house. I thought he was acquainted with you from the way he talkedà". Also, included is a CSA stamped cover, addressed to "Miss. Blake." Overall VG.

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