2005-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 10/31/2005
Letter group of George Pritchard who served on the USS SANTEE when it captured the Rebel Schooner ‘Royal Yacht’ off Galveston bay. Group of seven letters, most multipaged, signed “George” and read in part: “...[U.S. Frigate ‘Santee’ Off Galveston, Texas, November 1, 1861] The U.S. Steamer ‘Rhode Island’ arrived about an hour since...and as he is going to leave tonight I can only write you a few lines. Last Sunday, Ocotber 26th we captured a brig sailing under English colors. On Tuesday the 28th we sent her to New York with a prize crew; her name was the ‘Delta.’ On Tuesday afternoon a steamer came out from Galveston under a flag of truce. We fired eleven shots at her before we discovered teh flag. We then ceased firing and hoisted a flag of truce and sent a boat to communicate with her. She sent a letter to our Captain from the English Consul at Galveston...All of our Midshipmen (3) have been ordered to the ‘Niagara’...[U.S. Frigate ‘Santee’ Off Galveston Bay, Texas, November 27, 1861,] I must write you an account of a little victory the old ‘Santee’ has just won. Several steamers and a schooner have been the habit of sailing up and down the bay before Gavleston, beyond the range of our guns, showing the secession flag. Our men got almost crazy about it they were so mad. At last some of the most daring of the crew got the 1st Lieutenatn to ask the captain to let them take two or three boats some favorable night and attack the schooner; her name was the ‘Royal Yact’ carrying one 32lb gun, and she came outside every night and anchored so as to guard the entrance to the harbor. At last it was deteremined to make an attack on night of Nov. 7th. At sundown the 1st and 2nd Launches and 3rd cutter were hoisted over the side, and a howitzer placed in the bows of the two former. At eleven o’clock after the moon had gone the expedition started; the 1st launch was under the command of Lieut SE Souett; the 2nd launch was under Lieut John G. Mitchell; and the 3rd cutter, under Master’s Mate, H.S. Lambert. The crews of the different boats wore white muslin caps to distinguish them from the enemy and had the password ‘Wabash’....About 2 o’clock one of the boys woke me up and said the fight had begun. I immediately rushed on deck and ran to one of the open ports and looked out and saw the schooner ‘Royal Yacht’ afire, about three miles distant....At 6 o’clock I was suddenly aroused by hearing the drum beat to quarters...In a few minutes our gallant 1st launch was alongside. Lieut. Souett came over the side, assisted by two men; immediately after him came 12 prisoners. Our wounded had to be placed in hammocks and hoisted over the side. When our men saw their shipmates pale and wounded lying in their hammocks, they were so exasperated they would have strung the prisoners up at the yard arm if they had been permitted to do so. The surgeon immediately went to Lieut. Souette to dress his wounds, but this noble fellow would not allow them to touch him until his men were attended to...The following is a correct list of the killed and wounded on our side. Officers - Lieut Souett wouned in the side with a pike; William Carter, Gunner, cutlass wound on the left arm. Bothe of these officers are now nearly well. Crew - Henry Gaskea, thrust in the left side iwth a boarding spike, and shot in the breast - dead; John L. Emmason, shot through the right arm just above teh elbow, through the back and breast and twice behind the left knee; George Bell, shot in the throat, Edward Conway, thrust in the side and arm with a boarding pike. Charles Hawkins, cutlass wound on the left arm; Francis Brown shot across the back and in the breast; and Hugh McGregor, shot in the left leg; they are nearly all well now, all but poor Emmerson; he lingered in great agony until Sunday the 10th when his wounds commenced to mortify and he died very easy...Gashea was sewed up in his hammock on the 8th and carried out to sea in one of the boats and buried by his messmates; Emmerson was buried on the 11th. The following is an account of the affair as I got from one of the men engaged in it. Just as they were about boarding the schooner they were hailed by a man on deck; without answering him our men gave a cheer and pulled as hard as they could; the man who hailed them then fired a pistol into the 1st launch wounding Emmerson; the 2nd launch fired her howitzer into the schooner and the two launches then boarded her. A severe hand-to hand fight immediately took place. Henry Gashea was the first wounded on baord the schooner, he managed to crawl over the side into the 2nd launch and was found quite dead after the fight. After firing about half an hour the rebels ran below and cried out for quarter, our men then ceased firing, but they had no sooner stopped then the rebels began again. Some of them came on deck again, but our men were so excited at them for firing after surrendering that they ran them overboard, giving no quarter. After firing a few more shots and finding that the schooner was on fire the rebels threw down their arms and surrendered. Lieut. Mitchell commanding the 2nd launch acted very cowardly; when the rebels first called for quarter, and ran below and commenced firing up through the hatches, Lieute. Mitchell called out ‘a steamer is coming! a steamer is coming’ then jumped into the 2nd launch and called the crew and shoved off, leaving the 1st launch to do all the fighting. It proved to be a false alarm...Galveston fort fired twenty or thirty shots at the boats without hitting them once. The fort burned blue lights nearly all the time, so it was nearly as bright as day. Lieut. Mitchell’s cowardice is a disgrace to the ship, but we cannot say too much for our noble and brave Lieut Souett...One of our men has been put in double-irons for having a secession flag tatooed on his arm...” Much more.
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