Civil War Seaman Reports Another Battle, Fifty Rebel Deserters A Day
2 pp, 5 ¼ x 7 ¼, Civil War letter from ROBERT COOK to his Uncle John Cook of Montpelier, Vermont, February 22, 1865, aboard the U.S. Steamer Dumbarton, a captured steam operated gunboat acquired by the Union Navy from the prize court. In 1865, the Dumbarton served as a flagship of Rear Admiral W. Radford in the James River, Virginia from February 17 – March 27, 1865.
In small part, “...I hope that those few lines will find you and finely enjoying good health...We left Norfolk about eight days ago and we are now up the James River as far as ‘Duthes Gap.’ We had an exchange of [privateers] the 19th of this month and the movements that is making, I think, we will soon have another battle. The army is altogether pretty much to the front...Dear Uncle there is from forty to fifty rebel deserters every day. We have seen as many as that go over the brig on the left of the James every day since we can hear...I had a letter from my uncle Samuel before I left Norfolk and I got five dollars in it...I think that by the appearance of things that the war will not be over for some time...
Punctuation added. Creative spelling corrected in translation. Very nice cover with some soiling. Cover illustration shows a line of soldiers distracted from their commander by a lady with exposed legs and the caption, “Attention squad: Front face, Eyes Right! Why in the thunder don’t you turn your eyes to the right!!!” and a postmark indicating it was used for another one of Cook’s letters to his uncle.
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