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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.41 |
| 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 reporting that he is under sailing orders so could have to leave at any moment or not at all |
| Date | 23 January 1863 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | West, R |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | References his mother's letter of 20 January. Says they are waiting in Newport News under sailing orders, which means they could leave at any minute or sit for an indefinite period. Says the tugboats are sent 8 or 9 miles upriver to keep a lookout for Confederate riverboats and that they announced an attack the night before. There was great confusion when the ships deployed to defend against the attack because of a night fog. Nothing came of the supposed attack. Goes on to describe the Norfolk navy yard in detail, saying it was "a scene of utter ruin and desolation." Says the hull of the USS "United States" is still at the navy yard. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Extreme Weather Blockade Confederate States of America Wartime Pillaging and Destruction Battle |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) West, R. (fl. 1860-1865) |
| Place written | Aboard the USS "Ladona" at Newport News, 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 | Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach |
| Civil War: Unit | USS "Ladona" |