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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.70 |
| 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 Mary West reporting that British ships are afraid of the Union Navy's Dahlgren guns |
| Date | 18 July 1864 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | West, Mary |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | References her letter of 4 July 1864. Says he collected money for a fair for the sailors in the squadron. Says he has collected 85 dollars thus far. Says he is glad that Confederate Captain Raphael Semmes was finally captured. Gives grudging respect to Semmes's abilities. Says the British are afraid of Union Navy's Dahlgren guns. Says "If we were to go to war with England tomorrow it would be 1812 all over again as far as wooden ships are concerned." Says their latest executive officer was detached and granted a leave of absence. Likes his new officer who is young. Questions why the Union Navy keeps sailing ships like his in service when it has so many steamers. Says his ship has 70 sailors and petty officers. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Weaponry Fourth of July Charity and Philanthropy Finance Confederate General or Leader Confederate States of America Prisoner of War Global History and Civics War of 1812 Steamboat Maritime Blockade Battle |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Place written | Aboard USS "Fernandina" at St. Catherine's Sound, 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" |