Sawyer gun explodes killing 4 men and wounding 4 others with the largest piece passing over his head!
4 pages, 4 1/2 x 7 1/2, in ink, written by William E. Cobbett, Co. G, 29th Massachusetts Infantry, to his Father & Mother. Includes a worn patriotic envelope that has a full color illustration of a firing cannon with an American flag flying overhead. Addressed to Mrs. William Cobbett, Canton, Mass., with indistinct postmark, and stamp cut off.
Camp Butler, Newport News, Va., Feb. 12, [1862], Company G, 29 Reg. [Massachusetts Infantry]
Dear Father & Mother,
It is with the greatest pleasure that I now take this opportunity to answer your letter. I was glad to hear that you was both well and in good health. We are well and so are all the boys that came with us. I have got over my cough now after a great deal of trouble. I had to go to the doctor’s 3 or 4 days, and he gave me some stuff that stopped it. I am as well now as I ever was in my life. George has grown fat since he came out here. He weighs 140 pounds now, and I weigh 141. I lost in the town hall, but I am gaining now. I have wrote to Katie Cobbett since I have been here, and I have got an answer from her the 10th, and she was well and wanted me to give you her best respects, and said she was coming to see you one of these days. I have been out scouting once since I wrote to you before, but did not see any Rebels, and did not go on Sunday. You wanted to know if they had religious services or prayers, and who the chaplain was. Who he is, I do not know. I never saw him but once, and I did not hear his name. I believe they have prayers here every Sunday, but I have not been yet. I have so far been out on inspection in the morning, and then I sit down and read my bible. I have read every Sunday and know I have begun the bible, and I intend to read it through. I have got some very sad news to tell you, as they was firing the Sawyer gun here last night. As they were discharging it the 3rd time it exploded and killed 3 men, and wounded 4 more. It burst into 5 large pieces and I was standing looking to see the shell burst on the opposite shore. I see the largest piece in the air over my head, and I was lucky enough to get out of the way of it in time to save myself. It struck about 12 feet from me and buried itself, and today it took 18 men to lift it. I think I had a narrow escape of it don’t you? That is the second piece that has gone over my head. You wanted to know what kind of a bed we have. The most of us have the floor, but some of us got beds filled with straw that we buy of the n_____s, (the "N" word is completely written out by Private Cobbett], and you wanted to know if I changed my clothes once a week. I do when it is pleasant weather so that I can dry my clothes. I want you to give my respects to Mr. Nutting’s folks, and all the neighbors. I guess I have wrote all the news there is round here now. Albert & Lorenzo send their best respects to you and all the folks. Oh! I have bought a fancy pipe, and am going to send it to you the first chance I have. I want you to keep it till I come home to remember me by. No more at present this from your Son,
William E. Cobbett, Newport News, Va.
Company G, 29 Reg. M.V.M.
Light age toning and wear, with a small fold split that has been repaired with archival document tape at the inside vertical center fold of this folio letter sheet. Very bold and neatly written, newsy letter that is fully identified with company and regiment. Very desirable Massachusetts Civil War soldier letter.
William E. Cobbett, was a 20 year old farmer from Canton, Mass., when he enlisted in the 4th Massachusetts Infantry, a 3 months unit, as a private, on May 19, 1861, and was mustered out of this regiment on July 29, 1861. He re-enlisted on December 4, 1861, and was mustered in as a private in Company, G, 29th Massachusetts Infantry. He re-enlisted as a veteran volunteer, on January 1, 1864, and was mustered out of the service on July 29, 1865.
The George mentioned in the letter is his younger brother, Private George C. Cobbett, from Canton, Mass. Unfortunately, George, who was 19 years old at the time of his enlistment, did not survive the war. The machinist had enlisted on December 4, 1861, for 3 years, but sadly died of disease on September 10, 1862, at Craney Island, Virginia.
The Albert mentioned by William in his letter is either another brother, or a cousin, who hailed from Stoughton, Mass. Albert Cobbett was a 21 year old butcher who also enlisted with the other Cobbett's on December 4, 1861, and was mustered into Co. G, 29th Massachusetts Infantry. He survived the war and was mustered out of the Union Army on December 30, 1864, at Petersburg, Va.
The hard fighting 29th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment fought in 29 battles, and 4 sieges. They were assigned to the famed "Irish Brigade," in the Army of the Potomac, during the 1862 Virginia Peninsular campaign, having the distinction of being the only non Irish regiment to serve in this heralded brigade, fighting with them all the way through the Antietam campaign. In January 1863, they moved to Kentucky, were they were very actively engaged fighting Rebel guerrillas. They later took part in the Vicksburg, and Jackson, Mississippi campaigns, and in the Knoxville, Tennessee campaign. Moving back east in 1864, they fought under General U.S. Grant in the Overland campaign, and in the Petersburg, Va. campaign. They suffered their worst casualties of the war in the battle of Fort Stedman, Va, on March 25, 1865.
WBTS Trivia: The Sawyer gun, invented by Sylvanus Sawyer, was a large, cast steel, rifled cannon mounted on a high angle carriage that could hit a target two miles away with great accuracy. |
