Civil War Soldier's Letter with Battle of St. John's Bluff Content by Charles A. Wood of the 7th Connecticut Volunteer Infantr...

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Civil War Soldier's Letter with Battle of St. John's Bluff Content by Charles A. Wood of the 7th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry. Seven pages on two bifolia, 4.75" x 7.75"; Hilton Head; October 10, 1862. Wood writes to his future wife Maria Dean with details of his company's participation in the Battle of St. John's Bluff on October 1-3. He writes: "...well I will tell you where Expedition went. it was composed of the 7th Conn. 47th Pa. Regt, and section of the Conn. Battery and Co. of the Mass. Cavalry. we went down the Coast till we came to a place cauled [sic] Mayport Mills on the Coast of Florida and at the mouth of St. John's River. here we landed in the Night. In the morning we was showed a Rebel Battery on a high Bluff cauled [sic] Saint Johns Bluff. This was the first we had been told of the intentions of the Expedition. The plan was for the land force to march round to the rear of the Battery a distance of 15 miles. Then the Gunboats was to Shell them and we was to cut of[f] there [sic] retreat. Well we had a pretty hard time getting round to the rear of the Battery. We went through swamps & creeks and in fact everything to make our journey unpleasant we were obliged to waid [sic] up to our waist in crossing some of the creeks. We were obliged to skirmish all the way wen [sic] we had go about 4 or 5 miles we came to a Rebel Camp of Cavelry [sic]. They were just eating dinner, they were so frightened they left there dinners on there [sic] plates and mounted there horses and galloped off as if the Old Boy was after them. They left everything behind them even there [sic] carbines. It seems they carried the news to the Battery that we were marching on the Battery with a large force and by the time we arrived in the vicinity of the Battery and took our position, the Gunboats commenced to shell but the Rebels did not reply as we marched up to the Fort and found the Rebels had left in as much of a hurry as the Cavelry [sic] did. They left all there [sic] guns. 9 in all. They left all they had there [sic] blankets knapsacks plates & cups. They did not stop to carry anything with them. Well we laid down that night in a rain storm and got some sleep. In the morning we went to work and dismantled the guns and put them on the steamer Neptune and she started for Hilton Head. It took us two days to do all the work. We blowed up the Magazien the next day we embarked on board of a steamer and started for the Citty of Jacksonville up the Saint Johns River about 20 miles but finding that the Rebel Soldiers had all left we immediately landed at the foot of Ocean Street and marched to the out skirts of the Citty but found nothing but a few Rebel pickets and run off as fast as possible..." Wood and the 7th Connecticut remained in Jacksonville only a few days, and returned to their camp in Hilton Head, South Carolina where he wrote this letter. The letter is accompanied by the original transmittal cover, which has been neatly sliced open along the right.

Condition: Usual mail folds, all pages have multiple creases at the top corner. Light toning throughout.

More Information: Charles A. Wood was born in Poughkeepsie, New York and later moved to Willimantic, Connecticut, where he worked as a clerk before the Civil War. He enlisted in the 7th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry Regiment on September 5, 1861 in New Haven as a first sergeant. He reached the rank of 1st Lieutenant. On May 28, 1863, Wood married Maria Dean of Willimantic, Connecticut. Wood died on May 15, 1864 from his wound received at Drewry's Bluff on May 14.

The 7th Connecticut Volunteer Infantry was organized at New Haven, Connecticut, on September 13, 1861. In October and November 1863, the regiment's status changed. It was equipped as a "boat infantry" for the specific purpose of leading an amphibious night assault on Fort Sumter, South Carolina. Although the 7th trained at Folly Island, South Carolina, the project was ultimately ended because it was deemed impractical. The regiment participated in several engagements, including the Battle of Olustee, the Siege of Fort Pulaski, the Battle of James Island, the capture of Fort Wagner, Drewry's Bluff, and the Siege of Petersburg. It mustered out on July 20, 1865, and discharged at New Haven, Connecticut, on August 11, 1865.