American Historical Ephemera & Photography

2 pages, 7 3/4 x 9 7/8 in., creased at folds, light discoloration to creases and to back page. 

A merchant, who identifies himself as "S.S. Roberts," writes to William Birnie Esquire (1782-1865), a fellow merchant and President of the Bank of South Carolina, informing him of the bombing of Charleston with details of the destruction, writing: "Last Friday the yanks threw a shell into Charlotte st & another in John st east of meeting st. What a stampeed [sic] these too [sic] devils have caused amongsts [sic] the people the Banks & portions of the Government departments removed by daylight Saturday morning the Bank of Charleston had pulled up Stakes & gone where to deponent knowith not...I do hope that the Yanks may never reach my new quarters. On thursday last the enemy put a shell through the shed of our old stone which did not stop untill [sic] he reached the second floor. there the gentleman bealched [sic] out all his venom & made Sad havoc all around...the So.WRR Bank was all so [sic]  Struck and received much more injury than your building. yesterday when I was down in broad st the shells came whistling over my head like so many mock Birds, any number struck ground..."