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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.85 |
| 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 Harriet Moore regarding Sherman presenting Savanah to the president as a Christmas gift |
| Date | 26 January 1865 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | Moore, Harriet |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | References receiving her letter of 5 January. Says his Christmas was subdued, but that he did manage to get a turkey for dinner. Says "By the way, was not Sherman's dispatch to the president presenting Savannah as a Christmas gift, a neat thing?" Says the only present he gave this year was "a calico dress to the old darky woman who washes for me and the result is that she wants to send a barrel of peanuts to my mother, in return." Assumes that Sherman is in South Carolina by now. Recommends that her father read "Army & Navy Journal," a weekly journal based in New York, as it is better than the daily newspapers. Has just heard of the second and successful attack at Fort Fisher. Says he heard a rumor they might be going to Port Royal soon. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Holidays and Celebrations Gift Diet and Nutrition Military Provisions Union General Sherman's March to the Sea President Clothing and Accessories African American History Slavery Contrabands Women's History Children and Family Agriculture and Animal Husbandry Journalism Battle Confederate States of America Blockade |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) Moore, Harriet (fl. 1864) Sherman, William Tecumseh (1820-1891) |
| Place written | Aboard USS "Fernandina" at St. Catherine's, Georgia |
| 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 "Fernandina" |