Raynors HCA 2018-06
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 6/21/2018
A great war-date Union soldier's letter, 4pp. 8vo., written by Pvt. Alverado Lansing, Co. I, 11th Iowa Vols., Savannah, Ga., Jan. 3, 1865, in part: "…we came into this lace two weeks ago…it is a large and nice town. The streets are laid out square and the whole place is nearly so. We found large quantities of cotton in the warehouse along the river…we did not expect to take the place without more fighting…I thought we should take the rebel garrison…they did not have any rifle guns, but had many large siege pieces. Our Corps met with resistance on the main road leading into the city from the north…the battery that opened on us was about a half mile south of the junction of the Ga. Central with Charleston & Savannah railroad. The turnpike runs along the railroad for several miles…the first shot a 32 lbs shell burst right over our brigade killing one man and wounding three others. We filed into the woods, deployed and threw up rifle-pits after first sending out skirmishers. The skirmishers soon became hotly engaged…the firing was kept up night and day…resulting in little loss…the day following we were relieved by the 14th Corps and marched around towards the right passing through swamps on corduroy roads built by our negro pioneers. We came to a main road and marched on that to the Ogeechee river. There a steamer came up with Gen. Foster…before this Hazen's Div. of the 15th Corps had stormed Fort McAllister and our "cracker line" was all right. We worked one day getting out timber for a wharf…then move back 8 miles towards the left. Our brigade filling a gap in the line. A battery of the enemies threw solid shot at us through a piece of tine woods…we soon began to dig against it. Our pickets finally had advanced in the night and built strong pits within fifty rods of it and would soon made it hot for the raw rebel gunners when unexpectedly the battery was found deserted…we followed the retreating rebels into Savannah. It was a happy day to us we hailed the sight of the fort steeple with cheers. I thought at first the rebels had only fell back to another line but when I saw a battery of light artillery left behindI was pretty certain they had evacuated the city…the army is busy build[ing] a strong line of defenses on the south side of the town. I have been down to [Fort] Pulaski o see Abe…I never saw him look as well as he does now. I do hope he will never drink again. The man all like him and so does the Col…the colonel was wounded…Alvorado…". Alverado Lansing also served earlier in the war as a member of the 23rd New York Vols. seeing action at Antietam, Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville. Damp-stained, else VG
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