In a letter written July 19th, 1864 to the Spencer Rifle Company, Jos. R. Hawley, Colonel of the 7th Regiment Connecticut Volunteers and then commanding the 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, 10th Corps, writes-
"Sir - My regiment has now used the Spencer carbine since January, and has tried it in the battles of Olustee, Fla., and Chester Hill and Drury Bluff, May 14th and 16th, in Virginia, besides numerous picket combats and skirmishes. I am more firmly convinced than ever of the vast superiority of breech-loaders. For army purposes they are best: in many cases a magazine breech-loader doubles and I might say quadruples the efficiency of the soldier...At Olustee, the 7th Conn. opened the fight as skirmishers, and came away from it as the rear guard, enthusiastically in favor of this new arm. Once about dark on the night of May 14th, and three times in the heavy fog on the morning of the 16th, at Drury's Bluff, the enemy assaulted the position of the right on a knoll 400 yards in front of the rebel breastworks. Each time the rebels came very near, twice at least they must have been within forty yards before our side opened fire. In neither case did our fire last over three minutes, and when it ceased in obedience to the bugle signal, in neither case was a rebel to be seen or was there one firing at us. The terrible roll that the Carbines beat had utterly routed them; those not disabled had run back or in some way disappeared in the darkness or fog behind stumps or logs. This is not exaggeration I am trying to state the facts as I saw and heard them myself..."