July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
A war-date Union officer's letter, 2pp. 8vo., written by Acting 3rd Asst. Engineer Charles Sinclair to Master Gregory, in part: "I take my pen…to inform you that I have been laid up with a sore foot ever since I have been in New York…I don't feel able to report to you at present but will as soon as my foot will permit say 4 or 5 days. I send with his my letter of resignation which I hope will meet with your kind consideration…my reasons for sending my resignation is that I have not felt well since I fell in the coal hole of the Western World and…don't feel able to go to sea any more…". ALSO INCLUDED; is Sinclair's resignation to the Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, 1p. folio, "U. S. Stmr Western World, Navy Yard, Charleston", it is interesting to note that Sinclair saw no need to inform Sec. Welles about his true whereabouts which was New York! Needless to say, Sinclair's resignation was not accepted and he showed his true colors in 1864 by deserting. Both Near fine. From the personal archive of Acting Master Samuel B. Gregory who commanded the USS Western World from the date of her commission on January 3, 1862 until November 1864. Initially, she was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron cruising the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina looking for blockaders and in taking part in raiding coastal plantations and helping free the slaves they found. Later in 1863, she was added to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, taking part in the Suffolk campaign in April 1863 and helped capture six enemy vessels soon afterwards. The following documents give a good look at the naval career of one of the North's more active blockaders.
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