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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.14 |
| From Archive Folder | Correspondence of 90 letters and documents with 3 maps on the blockade of Port Royal, South Carolina |
| Title | Lewis H. West to R. West regarding being restless in camp |
| Date | 8 August 1861 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | West, R |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Received 2 letters from his mother and four from his sister Mary. Says he went up to Washington and got the box sent to him. Says Captain Parrott left and has been replaced with Captain Haggerty. Has not been able to form an opinion on his character. Also says their first lieutenant has left and their second lieutenant, Miller, has replaced him. Says the entrenchments in town are getting along well and that they are called Fort Dahlgren. Says "I am getting very impatient at our present occupation, which consists of doing nothing at all, just lying at anchor and looking at the town, and this too at a time when the coast of the Carolinas is swarming with privateers." Goes on to say that ships like his brig are needed to capture privateers, claiming that "Men were made of different metal in 1812 when officers thought of nothing but a chance to get to sea in any vessel they could." Says the newspaper are still talking about hanging pirates, but says "If they really wish to hang the most dangerous enemies of the country, it would be far better to hang a few of the politicians, of the 'peace at any price' school." Saw a regiment of three-year men from Wisconsin who looked like good soldiers who "were burnt black as Indians, with nothing showy about them except their arms." |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Blockade Children and Family Women's History Fortification Privateering Journalism Death Penalty Peace Politics Democratic Party Copperheads Weaponry American Indian History War of 1812 |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) West, R. (fl. 1860-1865) |
| Place written | Alexandria, Virginia |
| Theme | The American Civil War; Naval & Maritime |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | West was a Union naval officer in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, mostly serving off South Carolina and Georgia. This collection begins with three documents from West's service on a merchant marine ship off China. He served on the USS "Perry" April-August 1861, the USS "Wabash" August-October 1861, the USS "Alabama" October 1861-October 1862, the USS "Ladona" (also spelled Lodona) October 1862-August 1863, the USS "New Ironsides" October 1863-April 1864, and the USS "Fernandina" April 1864-March 1865. Had the rank of Masters Mate from April-August 1861 and then served the rest of the war as an Acting Master. Letters detail the tedium of life in the blockade, coming across runaway slaves and contrabands, as well as several run-ins with Confederate submarines. Three hand drawn maps are at .27, .68, and .89. Most of the letters are to his mother (her initials are RW and she resides at 1316 Walnut Street in Philadelphia - West addresses his letters to her as "Mrs. James West"), sister (Mary), and someone who appears to be West's brother-in-law (Weir). He begins to write a woman he seems to be romantically interested in named Harriet Moore in 1864. From a reference at .63, West was born in 1829. He might have been living in New York before the war, but he definitely resides there after the war. About half the letters have an envelope. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |
| Civil War: Recipient Relationship | Mother |
| Civil War: Theater of War | Main Eastern Theater |
| Civil War: Unit | USS "Perry" |