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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.26 |
| 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 stating that Charleston is greatly effected by the presence of Union ships |
| Date | 5 November 1861 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | West, R |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Sent this letter by a prize they took that morning. The prize was being sent back to Hampton Roads. Several hours after reporting for duty on the USS "Alabama," he was sent to Charleston to relieve the USS "Susquehanna," which was having engine troubles. Thinks the fleet that amassed in Hampton Roads is heading to Port Royal. Says Charleston is greatly effected by the presence of Union ships. Reports that "Some fugitive slaves who came off in the night, report that they had been employed throwing up entrenchments at Port Royal but had been obliged to leave as they were discovered by the Monticello who shelled them out." Says the men on board are angry about losing their place in the fleet and having to stay in Charleston. Note on page 2 was written by West's mother and initialled "RW." |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Blockade Confederate States of America Privateering Fugitive Slave Act Runaway Slave Slavery Artillery African American History Contrabands Woman Author Women's History Children and Family |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) West, R. (fl. 1860-1865) |
| Place written | Aboard the USS "Alabama" off Charleston, South Carolina |
| Theme | The American Civil War; Naval & Maritime; Slavery & Abolition |
| 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 | Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach |
| Civil War: Unit | USS "Alabama" |