The destruction of the Confederate ironclad “Atlanta,” the capture of its commander, Lt. William A. Webb, a hero of the Battle of Hampton Roads a year earlier, and other naval activities in the Savannah, Georgia area, 1863-1864, in a series of 22 manuscript letters and orders, many signed by three commanders of the Savannah Squadron, Webb, Lt. Commander Josh Kennard, and Captain William W. Wallace
The letters and documents include orders to move ships and provide aid to a blockade runner, personnel matters, transfers, promotions, repairing and outfitting ships, reporting on the dead and wounded from the “Atlanta,” and other matters. All of the material is more fully described below, generally in chronological order (starting with the earliest piece for each individual). Some storage wear and soiling, but a very good lot. Item #70024
TATTNALL, Captain and Flag Officer Josiah (1795-1871; commanded Southern naval units in defense of Port Royal, S.C., in 1861, the defense of Virginia’s waters in 1862, and naval forces of Georgia, 1862-1863). Appointing Lt. Arthur Sinclair Fleet Captain of the Savannah Squadron, giving instructions for communicating with the Commandant’s Office, and calling for economy, in a manuscript copy of a letter, signed clerically for “Flag Officer Comdg Tattnall” by Tattnall’s clerk C. Lucian Jones, on “Confederate States Navy Station / Commandant’s Office / Savannah” letterhead, February 26, 1863. This copy noted as “sent to the Commander of vessels … the Comdg Officer, Str Isondiga” [at the time Lt. Joel S. Kennard]. 4to. Two-pages, approximately 150 words, in part: “In addition to your duty as Commander of the Atlanta, you will also perform that of Fleet Captain, and will as such take charge of the general duties of the Squadron, being guided by my general and such other orders as I may issue from tie to time.” Sinclair (1810-1865) commanded the “Atlanta” February – May, 1863, by which time both he and Tattnall were relieved of command for various failures, Lt. William Webb being appointed to fill there posts [see his entry below]. (1) WEBB, Lieutenant and Flag Officer William A. (1824-1881; commended for his actions commanding the “Teaser” in the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 1862; commanded a secret squadron of small boats outfitted with spar torpedoes in Charleston Harbor in 1862-1863; commanded the “Atlanta” and the Savannah Squadron). Giving instructions for conduct in various areas to his junior officers, in an autograph letter and three letters, each signed by Webb, as commander of the “Atlanta” and Savannah Squadron Commander, May 13 – June 9, 1863, to Lt. Commander Joel S. Kennard [see below], commanding the “Isondiga” in Webb’s squadron shortly after taking command. 4to. 4-pages. The first letter asks from a “complete muster roll” of the “Isondiga’s” officers and crew, the other three being “General orders No. 3,” prohibiting boats from going “below Thunderbolt” [five miles south of Savannah] “without the officers being well armed,” the final two offering directions for having repairs to the Isondiga taken care of and giving instructions on the construction of pennants to fly. Accompanied by a manuscript “General Order No. 4” clerically signed by now “Secretary” Jones June 3, 1863, from Webb to Kennard, both “Off Thunderbolt.” Folio. Two-pages, approximately 200 words, in part: “All vessels under my command will keep a strict look out night and day, and will bring to, all boats and vessels not belonging to or employed by the Army of Navy … no boat or vessel will be allowed to pass unless their passport is signed by the Comdg Genl … the guard vessel for the day will have the grand flag flying and will have a boat ready for boarding … a correct register of all vessels brought to will be kept … all commanders will inspect quarterly for condition of each vessel … with respect to the completeness of her equipment and the proper stationing of her crew.” Webb’s Savannah command was short lived, he attempted to break the Union blockade by engaging with two Monitors patrolling Wassaw Sound on June 17, but the “Atlanta” ran aground, forcing Webb to surrender under withering fire that severely damaged the ship, killing one and wounding 16 crew members, Webb, not being able to repeat his Hampton Roads performance, being captured and sent to prison in Boston for a year. (5) KENNARD, Lt. Commander Joel S. (1819-1901; commanded the “Isondiga,” in the Savannah Flotilla, 1862-1864). Complaining of being passed over for Savannah Squadron command for a more junior officer, William A. Webb, and asking for a transfer, in an autograph letter, signed by Kennard, from the C.S Str “Isondiga,” on the Savannah River, May 9, 1863, to Stephen R. Mallory, Confederate Secretary of the Navy, in Richmond. 4to. Two-pages, approximately 175 words, in part: “I cannot help feeling that I am fully as much entitled to advancement as Mr. Webb … nor is it my intention to boast any great display of gallantry during this war, but, Sir, there is such a thing as a proper self esteem … as far as I know or can learn of Mr. Webb’s career, mine will not suffer by comparison … if it be possible to obtain command of any one of the vessels, said to be in course of construction in Europe, I would gladly accept it.” Accompanied by five autograph letters, signed by Kennard, June 23 – March 6, 1864, the first to three “Isondiga” junior officers concerning a supply problem, with their signed manuscript reply and accounting sheet, three to Flag Officer William W. Hunter [see below] concerning “Isondiga” personnel, repairs, and charges of drunkenness against an engineer [signed manuscript charges included here], and the last to Savannah Paymaster D.C. Seymour concerning pay for his crew members. Also accompanied by a letter from the Savannah paymaster to Kennard forwarding instruction [not present] for “Isondiga’s” assistant paymaster, written June 17, 1863, the day of “Atlanta’s” defeat and Webb’s capture. (10) KENNARD. Forwarding information from the “Atlanta” debacle, in a manuscript letter, left unsigned [perhaps a retained copy], from Kennard on the “Isondiga,” Savannah River, June 26, 1863 [nine days after the engagement], to Stephen R. Mallory, Confederate Secretary of War. 4to. Two-pages, approximately 200 words, in part: “Letters have been received by parties in the City from two of the officers and one of the crew of the ‘Atlanta,’ prisoners of war at the time of writing in Port Royal, S.C. … the third letter is from one of the crew by the name of Moore. After mentioning the casualties, this man Moore states particulars of the engagement. A summary of which is that two of the enemy’s fifteen inch shot passed through the port side of the Atlanta hull disabling two gun crews, that a third shattered the Pilot house; that she got aground and that being thus unable to bring any of her guns to bear upon the Enemy, the ship was surrendered.” Two of “Atlanta’s” officers reported slightly different numbers of casualties, but one mentioned one dead and 16 wounded, among them several named officers. (6) HUNTER, Commander William W. (1803-1892; commanded Confederate vessels protecting Gulf of Mexico ports, 1861-1863; commanded the Savannah Squadron, 1863-1864). Ordering the discharge of a sailor, the movements of the “Isondiga,” and inspecting munitions, in a series of four autograph letters and orders, signed by Hunter as “Flag Officer, Commanding Afloat,” February 5 – March 19, 1864, from Savannah, to Lt. Commander Kennard, aboard the “Isondiga.” 4to, half-sheet 4to, and a slip (2 x 7 ¾ inches), approximately 250 words total. Accompanied by an autograph order, marked at its head “Confidential,” signed by Hunter to Kennard, March 4, 1864, forwarding a letter (present here, but actually a clerical copy, docketed verso and signed by Hunter, also marked by him “Confidential”) from Brig. Gen. H.W. Mercer, commanding army troops in Savannah at the time, to Hunter the same day, explaining that a Confederate steamer with “a most important cargo of Army stores is expected nightly, and requesting that Hunter and his vessels keep an eye out to assist any attack by Union ships; Hunter’s order to Kennard advises “you will further object therein stated by every means in your power.” Following the destruction of the “Atlanta” and capture of the Savannah Squadron’s commander, William Webb, on June 17, 1863, Kennard was named squadron commander pro tem until Hunter arrived from the Gulf to take command later than year, a post he held until Sherman drove Confederate Forces from the Savannah area in December 1864. So, for a bit more than a year Hunter and his flotilla helped hold Savannah, but without the “Atlanta,” he had no hope of breaking the blockade or otherwise diminishing the Union’s naval superiority. Webb made his name at the Battle of Hampton Roads, March 8-9, 1862, commanding the gunboat CSS “Teaser.” As part of the Confederate flotilla attempting to break the Union blockade, it offered cover fire for the newly construction ironclad “Virginia” [formerly the Merrimac] as it engaged the USS “Cumberland” on the first day; after sinking that ship and forcing the “Congress” to surrender [though it was also sunk when shore batteries fired on the Confederate vessels sailing to accept the surrender], the “Merrimac” appeared to be heading for a victory. The appearance of the Monitor the following day changed the scene, however, and the two sides fought to a standstill. Webb and the “Teaser” again performed superbly and wounded Webb won the “thanks” of the Confederate Congress. Michael Reese, in his Autographs of the Confederacy, writes of Webb “commander of the C.S. ‘Teaser,’ a gunboat in the James River Squadron that fought with distinction at Hampton Roads … a rare signature.” We found one sale of a Webb letter, similar to the four offered here (Alexandria Historical Auctions, February 9, 2021, $1100). Files of Confederate naval manuscripts, as offered here, are very scarce in trade (this is the first we have offered in our 45 years of selling Civil War material and the first we’ve seen).
Price: $8,500.00