American Historical Ephemera & Photography

JEFFERS, William N. (1824-1883).  Letter signed ("William N. Jeffers") as Commander USN, to Rear Admiral L.M. Goldsborough. Comdg. European Squadron, Malta, 16 December 1866.  1p, 7 3/4 x 10 in., U. S. Steamer ‘Swatara’ letterhead, creasing at folds. Jeffers writes regarding his orders while en route to take John H. SURRATT, Jr. (1844-1916) into custody: “In obedience to your telegraphic order from Lisbon to Civita Vecchia, I arrived here today and although I find no specific or further orders from you I shall after consultation with the consul and examination of his correspondence proceed immediately to Alexandria and return from there to Villa Franca unless I receive orders to the contrary...” 

[With:] SNYDER, Henry. Autograph letter signed ("Henry Snyder /  1st Asst. Engineer"), to William N. JEFFERS, Comdg. US Steamer Swatara. Onboard the Swatara at Port Mahone, Minorca, 3 January 1867. 2 pp., 8 1/8 x 13 1/2 in., light soil, penciled notations, sticker remnant on verso. Snyder provides an extensive report on necessary repairs of the vessel. He notes: “Since the beginning of last quarter we have steamed a distance of five thousand five hundred miles during which time the intervals in port were so limited as not to allow sufficient time for thorough repairs excepting the ten days quarantine at Vigo Bay, where we had to depend entirely on our own resources.  Rough weather and violent ‘racing’ have severely tried the engines and I would therefore request sufficient time for general refitting.”  Note in Jeffers’s hand upper left corner of first page: “Respectfully forwarded / William N. Jeffers, / Swatara.”

JEFFERS, William N., Comdg. USS Swatara.  Letter signed ("William N. Jeffers") to Rear Admiral L.M. Goldsborough, Comdg. European Squadron. Funchal, Madeira, 23 January 1867.  1 ½ pp., 7 3/4 x 10 in., on U. S. Steamer ‘Swatara’ letterhead, creasing at folds, sticker remnant on verso. The Swatara has reached Funchal “after fifteen days from Villa Franca.” Jeffers had hoped to reach the Canaries, but his coal supply was insufficient. The ship is under quarantine, but he hopes to refuel and depart on the 25th. “I shall steam down to the ‘Trades’ and expect to be at home in about 20 days. / So far as weather is concerned I have never spent more disagreeable fifteen days at sea.” 

A USN sloop, in 1866 the USS Swatara was operating with the European Squadron in the Mediterranean when it was enlisted to take John H. Surratt, Jr., into custody. Surratt had participated in the failed plot to kidnap Lincoln and exchange him for thousands of Confederate POWs and was also suspected of participating in the assassination plot.  He had served as a Confederate Secret Service courier and spy.  Arrested in Rome, Surratt escaped and headed for Alexandria, Egypt before the Swatara arrived there to take him into custody. Jeffers's first letter indicated that the Swatara had not arrived at Rome to pick him up until after his escape, but that Jeffers knew Surratt had fled to Alexandria and was being held there.  The Swatara arrived in Alexandria four days later and took Surratt into custody on 20 December 1866. The ship returned Surratt to the United States arriving at the Washington Navy Yard on 18 February 1867.