Fine content Union sailor's letter, 2pp. legal folio, 'U.S. Steamer Augusta Off Charleston', May 22, 1963. Sailor Pardon Spencer writes his cousin, in part: '...On the seventh of April our Iron vessels undertook too much and had to retire. It was a grand sight to see the many shells bursting and hear the whistling of the rebels rifle shot as they come broadside after broadside on our little monitors...Our vessel was just out of range and I never experienced such a feeling before as our little Monitors advanced in to the hottest fire this world ever saw...We captured a contraband two weeks ago. We saw him early in the morning at some distance from our ship. We sent a boat after him. He was in a small boat with one oar as he don't count as prize money...He is a splendid nigger, neck about six inches long , with a head like a cannon swab, a very intelligent nig for he said that our Iron clads hurt the feelings of Fort Sumter very much...English steamers continue to run the blockade. Sometimes we fetch one up with a round torso. It is quite exciting to slip our anchor in a dark night and after the rebels. We fired into a vessel last night. This morning we saw her sunk on the beach. She is a three masted steamer..She is close under the rebel batteries where we dare not go. She was running out being loaded with cotton. The rebels began to get the cotton out of her when one of our gunboats put a stop to their labors by throwing shells amongst them...We will go to Port Royal this week for coal, but there is nothing there but soldiers and negros. I saw one white woman this last time I was there. She had only one eye and perhaps a wooden leg...' Fine condition. Undoubtedly the slave had stolen the boat in Charleston with the hope he could paddle to the Union blockaders...and freedom.