American Historical Ephemera & Photography

FARRAGUT, David. G. (1801-1870).  Letter signed ("D.G. Farragut / Rear Admiral"),  to Lt. Com. A. P. Cooke, Commanding U. S. Naval Forces at Brashear City, LA.  New Orleans, 6 March 1863. 1 p, 7 1/2 x 9 3/4 in., United States Flag Ship Hartford letterhead, light soil, some ink feathering on signature. Farragut orders Cooke to instruct the paymaster "not to pay Acting 3rd Asst. Engineer John Monroe for his services on board the U. S. Steamer ‘Kinsman’ as he has never accepted his appointment nor has he filed the usual oath of office.”  He adds that no one, no matter who appoints him, will be paid until that person has formally accepted his appointment and filed the oath of office.

MCRAE, W.D.L.. Autograph text of a telegraph signed ("W.D.L. McRae"), to CSA General Daniel Ruggles. Ponchatoula, LA, 27 July 1862. 5 1/2 x 8 1/2 in.,  on printed stationery of South-Western Telegraph Company, light soil, creased at center fold. McRae quotes a dispatch just received from Capt. SLOCOMB: “Federals 200 or 300 strong on Steamer Grey Cloud one & half miles below Covington. The New London is lying below Mandeville.  I have only twenty five effective men.” Verso docketed with "In relation to movements of the Enemy." Captain McCrae enlisted on 15 May 1862 and was commissioned into Co. D, LA 9th Battalion Infantry.

JONES, Miles T. (ca 1842-1897).  Autograph letter signed ("Miles T. Jones"), to his parents, Camp Stevens, Thibodaux, LA, 22 January 1863. 1 1/3 pp., 4to, in pencil, creasing and toning at folds, light pencil smudges in places. Jones describes the defeat of the CSS Cotton, writing in part:  “We have moved a bout sixty miles from New Orleans[.] we are now in camp about one mile from what is called Thibodaux...we left here on the 11th for a long a bout fifty miles a bove here[.] I believe the bay is called Bay Satiche[?] and the fourteenth we made quite a fight with the gunboat Cotton[.] We fought part of two days then the Rebels burnt the boat then left[.] we came very nigh boarding her but we fought well and brave slept two nights in a rain storm but we whipped them and destroyed their gunboat, then came back to camp....Captain Vaughn and Gen. Cotton [.] Our Col[?] Dwight is promoted to General...” 

[With:] Envelope addressed to his father Z. H. Jones Esqr / Wellsville, Alleganey Co. / New York," postmarked New Orleans 22 Jun 1863 (envelope may later have been erroneously matched with letter).  On January 14, a week before the date of this letter, four Union gunboats—the Kinsman, Calhoun, Estrella, and Diana—engaged the CSS Cotton in Bayou Teche off Brashear, LA.  As the writer indicates, the battle lasted two days.  The Cotton was so badly impaired that the Confederates burned and sank it in order to prevent it from being captured.