On board the S.R. Spaulding                                                                                                                                        off Roanoke Island, Feb. 9, 1862  Dear Father:        Roanoke Island is ours with three thousand prisoners, and large quantities of ammunition, provisions, artillery, and camp equipage. This is the greatest victory of the war. Our regiment distinguished themselves very much. I will endeavor to give you a detailed account of the action.        We arrived her Friday morning, and the Navy commenced firing into the batteries on shore at twenty minutes of twelve. At about four in the afternoon, the troops began to land and before morning they were all on shore except the 27th Massachusetts regiment, which had run aground. The next morning they were all on shore except the 27th Massachusetts regiment, which ran aground. The next morning they commenced moving towards the rear of the shore battery. After marching about two miles through mud about a foot deep, they came across a battery which opened on them. The 25th was in front and received the first fire. They held their ground until other regiments came up, when Hawkin's Zouaves and the 21st made a charge and carried the battery. Our men pursued them until they came to the shore battery, when they surrendered unconditionally.        The battery was not injured much. There were seven large guns in this battery; twelve in another further on; three or rather five in the battery in the woods, and two in another. The soldiers on the other side were wretchedly clothed, but were better fed than our men.        The loss on our side was about fifty killed and two hundred wounded. Company B only had one man, Edwin F. Pond wounded in the arm by a fragment of a shell. They all did their duty nobly. The place where the battle was fought was a miserable one. The battery was just beyond a swamp with water two or three feet deep, and full of briers and stumps of trees. A road ten feet wide runs through the swamp, which was completely swept by the battery. Some of our men stood two hours in the mud and water waist deep, firing on the enemy. O. Jennings Wise was mortally wounded in the battle, and has since died.        Perhaps you would like to know what I was doing all this time. Staying on board the Spaulding, impatient to be on shore. But I do not know but it was all for the best. Just before we left Hatteras, we Signal Officers were divided among the different Generals, and I came with General Burnside on the Spaulding. Four of us were here. I am second in command of the party. We, the corps, have been of great service on the water, but as the land here is low and covered with a dense pine forest we can not operate on shore. We had a good chance to see the Naval fight however. There were several secesh gunboats which came down occasionally and were driven back. Quite a number of Rebels escaped to the mainland. They were commanded by Henry and Wise, who escaped.        Where we shall go next, I have no idea, probably to Newbern. There is a report here that Norfolk is taken. For Heaven's sake, send me some Boston Journals or other papers, as they are worth their weight in gold. Another thing, find out the provisions of the Signal Bill, and if I am not promoted I desire to get out of this service. I find that the only way I can do so is by promotion. This service takes one entirely out of the line of promotion and more than quadruples our hardships and expenses. If we are not promoted, I wish you to obtain me a higher appointment in the army. I know I am capable of filling a higher position. This service is rather an inglorious one, while the men are fighting we keep back out of all danger. Talk of being under the eye of the General! I do not believe that General Burnside knows that there is such and officer as I am. The senior officer, one of the old corps, does all the business while I do most of the work. But I shall command a station probably the next detail, as I am the best versed in the code of any one in the corps, except my commander here. To-morrow I expect to go ashore, after which I will finish my letter.        I have been ashore all day and have seen the different batteries and the battleground. I will make you a sketch of the place as correctly as I can. By the way some of our Signal Officers got ashore and distinguished themselves during the action. Be sure and acquaint me with the provisions of the Signal Corps Bill. By the way, how you must have felt to hear the report of the Colonel Satterly's loss. I must believe too that several of Company B wrote home that I was lost. Hope you got my letter written at Hatteras. Soon after I wrote it, I received several letters from home while I was there, and they were very welcome I assure you. [At this point Draper draws his sketch. See below.]         I will enclose you a twenty-five cent Secesh note which I got from a prisoner. I saw a large number of our killed and wounded to-day. There were some horrible wounds. Our exact loss, I believe is twenty-eight killed and one hundred ninety wounded. The 25th lost eight killed and forty seven wounded.        I have had several adventures that would perhaps be interesting to tell, but they seem so commonplace that I will not write them now. We expect more exciting work soon. Remember me to all my friends and remember my requests.                                                                                                                                                      Yours truly,                                                                                                                                                       W.F. Draper                                      Don't forget to ascertain full particulars in regard to the Signal Bill.                                     Twelve thirty o'clock at night. By Signal. Have just received news that Elizabeth City is taken and the Rebel gunboats either destroyed or taken.                                 Draper Letters Menu                      Draper Menu                          HOME