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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC03836.77 |
| 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 saying the war is God's punishment to America for "temporizing with slavery" |
| Date | 7 November 1864 |
| Author | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) |
| Recipient | West, R |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | Says he received coffee, but no letter from her. Says the admiral is not accommodating to the mails, as they sit for weeks at Port Royal. Tells the story of three refugees who said they were from the North. Gave an account of Macon, where they came from. They confirmed the reports of "barbarous treatment" at Andersonville. Says "They saw the place of confinement ... where thousands of men were confined in an open field with no shelter from the weather and lying in mud knee deep." Says such things should make men who say "peace at any price" rethink their ideas. Says the Union is lucky to have "Sherman's stern, relentless, character to deal with these people." Says the war is God's punishment to America for "temporizing with slavery." Continues letter on 8 November. Is shocked that McClellan has so much support in the North. Says they are living a tedious life where they are. Sends a short list of provisions he would like. Is trying to smoke a pipe instead of cigars, but is having a tough time with it. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Navy Union Forces Union Soldier's Letter Soldier's Letter Diet and Nutrition Refugees Atrocity Prisoner of War Prison Camp Blockade Democratic Party Confederate States of America Religion Union General Slavery African American History Abolition Tobacco and Smoking |
| People | West, Lewis H. (b. 1829) 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: Recipient Relationship | Mother |
| Civil War: Theater of War | Lower Seaboard Theater and Gulf Approach |
| Civil War: Unit | USS "Fernandina" |