Lewis H. West to Weir with stories of his time on duty - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC03836.35
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 Weir with stories of his time on duty
Date	13 May 1862
Author	West, Lewis H. (b. 1829)
Recipient	Weir
Document Type	Correspondence
Content Description	References his friend's letter of 3 April. References Farragut and Porter's running of the forts below New Orleans. Tells the story of a ship that snuck past him. Tells of other run-ins while on blockading duty. Relates a conversation he had with a captured Confederate blockade runner while his ship was recoaling. Talks for 2 pages on General McClellan, mostly in a positive vein. Says the politicians and "crazy abolitionists of the Horace Greely school" are the only ones against him. Mentions General David Hunter and says "He has issued a proclamation recently, freeing all the slaves in South Carolina Georgia and Florida and is about raising two black regiments." Goes on to say "It is difficult to see why this should be done now when every thing indicates a favorable termination of the war. I presume it is intended to use them for garrison duty. The army officers generally are disgusted and say that rather than permit themselves to be made the tools of the abolitionists they will resign. It is just the same as employing Indians in war, and has not even the excuse of expediency, as we are more than a match for the enemy without using them." Since he has so much money due to him and nothing to do with it, asks that Weir would get him about 500 cigars and send them to him.
Subjects	Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Blockade Fortification Union General Confederate States of America Prisoner of War Politics Abolition Slavery African American History African American Troops Emancipation American Indian History Tobacco and Smoking Soldier's Pay Finance
People	West, Lewis H. (b. 1829)
Place written	Aboard USS "Alabama" at Port Royal, South Carolina
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: Theater of War	Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach
Civil War: Unit	USS "Alabama"

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