Dated “Off Baton Rouge, La. July 22, 1862. Addressed “My Very Dear Friend.”  4 pp. in ink on unlined paper, 7.75” x 9.75. Exhibits fold-marks, else VG.

The U.S.S. Kineo was a Unadilla class gunboat launched in in Portland, Maine, in October 1861. It was dispatched to the Gulf theater and ran the batteries of Fort Jackson and Saint Phillip during Admiral Farragut operations in the capture of New Orleans. It served in various actions up and down the Mississippi River in through 1862-63, including Port Hudson. Sent to patrol the Texas Coast in 1864, it was back on the river when the war ended.

A.S Oberly was appointed a naval surgeon in 1862 and served off in and at various navy installations through the 1880s

In this letter, written in late July 1862, Surgeon Oberly writes a friend confessing his fear concerning Union affairs in the east (following the disastrous conclusion of McClellan’s ’62 Peninsula Campaign), and then goes on to sketch in gun boat life on the Mississippi.

Text:  “I am alone in the wardroom this afternoon, and as I have nothing special on hand to occupy my time…

For the past week we have all here waited very anxiously to hear how things were transpiring in the North, and especially of our doing in the vicinity of Richmond. Our news via the Southern Confeds are not of a pleasant nature, and if we dare to credit the truth thereof it would make us sick…as we have learned that our Army at Richmond was likely wiped out. If such be the case, woebegone to us, as our neck is broken and we no doubt will be obliged to have the South dictate what we shall do…

In this vicinity things are progressing very slowly and all eyes look and wait for the news from the East. At Vicksburg everything is quiet excepting perhaps a little ram fever which has lately come on. Several days ago a large iron clad ram came out of the Yazoo river, passed the whole fleet at daylight…and came to anchor at Vicksburg. All the vessels belonging to one squadron which went up are on this side of Vicksburg again and one of Davis’ Rams from the fleet above. This morning the steamer Kensington arrived from Vicksburg, bound for New Orleans, which brings the news that they expected to attack the Confederate Ram (Arkansas) soon, and that the fleet was preparing to spend the summer there…

Gen. Williams who is in command of a brigade of our infantry at Vicksburg has orders from Gen. butler to withdraw his troops and come to Baton Rouge…Our troops have not landed at Vicksburg. They have all the while been aboard the transports and shore on the opposite side of the river. The enemy are fortifying themselves more strongly day by day, and no doubt in time will make it a difficult place to capture. At Baton Rouge everything is quiet though there are threats current that the enemy are agoing to drive the Yankees into the river…

Night before last between the hours 11& 12as everyone was commencing to sleep the long roll was beaten and orders for the Kineo to get underway and shell the bayou above, as there had been firing for some time by the pickets.  We had just got ready when our order from shore was countermanded. It seems that some guerrillas endeavored to pass the pickets and in being unable to do so, opened fire and though they were few in number, our pickets kept up a fire than necessary and created needless alarm…

The alarm produced a great deal of fright among the residents and especially of the female portion of the community. They who were there say that  that women were running in the streets in their night dress with small bundles of Clothing and bedding under their arms…

The people here are confident that the South that the South is going to succeed in their object, and manifest but little allegiance to the United States; for they say that if we do not succeed that those who favored the North will be obliged to leave the South at the risk of home & life. I was informed on Sunday that the residents had holes dug in the ground around their dwellings, into which they intend stowing themselves away in case of an attack. I do not know that I have anything more to say…”

Highly interesting letter depicting Union gun-boat life off Baton Rouge in the summer of 1862.  [JP]  [ph:L]

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