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ASHAEL SUMNER DEAN

 CIVIL WAR LETTERS TO HIS FAMILY

 

 

 

Stono Inlet July 4th 1864

 

Dear dear Virginia,

 

  I have been cruising about so much of late that I do not know when I wrote to you.  But I believe I told you we were going to Tybee.  I thought so until we were most out of the harbor.  But in place of that we went to Charleston and since that time have been "on the go" with dispatches, officers etc.

  The night of June 30 we left for C, remained 1 day, came up here with the Flag Ship as convoy to an Ironclad.  One more came down to the inlet from Charleston and we towed them up the river as the tide ran strong.  Now we are going down to Edisto, 14 miles and then to Port Royal and then back here again as soon as we can make the passage.  We go for Ammunition for the Ironclads[1].  We took the Ironclads up to within range of the batteries and they went further up and took their position.  The Rebs firing at them from Fort Pringle[2] all the while.  We lie just out of range and see the effect  of the shots of both. The Ironclads are aided by the Sloop PAWNEE and other Men of War.  They are within reach but have not been hit yet although the shells fall all about them.  Now let me tell you that the Army and Navy are going to avoid going by Fort Sumpter with P (PAWNEE?) by going around the back side of Morris Island which we hold and going up to the city by its river that way.  They think the batteries on the south side of James Island are not so formidable as on the north.  Fort Pringle is on the south side and is the first one.  We are now at work on it.  The movement began Friday night and since then there has been no night or Sunday.  Constant booming from cannon and hard watch duty for the men.  Yesterday was a hard day for the troops and the Navy.  I was busy all day.  I have one man with a gun shot wound in the knee.  He is doing well.  I shall put him in the hospital when we get to Port Royal for I may have more and he must have good treatment.  I do not think he will lose his leg.

  I saw today a Fourth indeed.  The ships with the flags of all nations.  Russia under ours, England under spar and France still lower and the Rebs a shooting all the while. All together it makes it very exciting to the men.  They fight anything.  Thus far only a few have been killed, but Gen Foster will probably storm Fort Pringle under cover of our guns and there may be bloody work.  I think he has 10 or 12 m men.  Of course this is boys play to the infantry fight near Richmond, but this is bad enough.  Our guns are the size of the 2 largest you saw in Boston.  The Schooner has 15 inch Mortars like those red ones you saw in the Park at the Navy Yard.  The other day I was going to write about the Ironclads and tell you how they were battered.  But now I have seen so much that I don't know where to begin so I shall have to wait until I can think.  I believe I am as safe here as at Tybee and you  

 

 LETTER ENDS ABRUPTLY-ed.

 

 

 

Editor's note: I believe the following letter, although undated or opened refers to the 4th of July letter.

 We sent a boat out on picket last night.  They went up to the works.  Mr. Jenny thinks they have about 24 guns at Ft. Pringle[3].  They have two or three other small batteries of two or three guns each.  He was fired into with grape.  It was very dark.  No one was hit.  We and the transports are within range, but they use their guns on more important objects.  They do not like the Mortar Schooners and the shells fall thickly about them.  A shell took a line out of the Quartermaster's hand on the MCDONOUGH.  The shells do not hit here.   Most fall no near to our ship than from the "       to the strawberry         " and I sincerely hope they wont.  We can see the entire fight perfectly and watch every gun.  The day is a real 4th of July.  Quite as much going on as I ever saw on the common.  As we can go quicker than anyone else, they send us with officers and dispatches and now we are going for shell.  Coming back as soon as we can load.  I wish you would relieve V. of any anxiety she may entertain.  I do not think the Navy will suffer in this engagement unless it may be a picket boat.  We assist the Army and cover their movements and are in no danger of musketry.  I feel as easy about it as though I was at Tybee and I think there is as little danger for them as we were alone and liable to be surprised at anytime.  You must excuse the diction, punctuation and orthography of this letter for the fleas, flies, heat and mosketoes are horrid.  We can not have a moment's rest.

 

 LETTER ENDS, NO CLOSING


 

[1] See Volume 4,pg.85 1st paragraph, Civil War Naval Chronology, Monitors LEHIGH & MONTAUK. See page 9, Silverstone, Paul WARSHIPS OF THE CIVIL WAR NAVIES, Naval Institute Press.

[2] See O.R Atlas plate CXXXI #1 go up Stono River just below Btty Tynes about 1/2 way up to Btty Pemberton.  O.R. calls it Battery Pringle.

[3] O.R. Navy, Series 1,Volume 15,page 554/5,para 7:"General Schimmelfennig had occupied ground in front of Coles Island early in the morning of the 2nd and the MCDONOUGH (Captain Phythian) opened on Battery Pringle and contiguous works" Para.9: Next day the vessels were in position (July 3?4?) Monitors LEHIGH, MONTAUK, + PAWNEE MCDONOUGH RACER opened on the Rebel batteries and swept the ground in front of General Schimmelfennig's position, where he believed the Rebels were making disposition for an assault on him.  Ltr. from Gen. Schimmelfennig to Adm. Dahlgren concerning a deserter from ironclad CHICORA July 233 1864, (page 577/578) 3/4 way into the letter "... with regard to the effect of our late operations on James Island, this deserter reports that Fort Pringle was very badly used up by the fire of the Navy; that the men called it a slaughter pen, and could not be made to stand to their guns, but took refuge in the bombproofs".

 

 

 

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March 2006

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