Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
A great account by Morse of subduing the crew of the USS Maple Leaf while he and others were enroute to Fort Delaware Prison on June 10, 1863 written by Lieut. Alexander Porter Morse of the Confederate Ordnance Department, 4pp. 8vo., "Laburnum" [Plantation], near Richmond, Va., July 1, 1863 (coincidentally the first day of the battle of Gettysburg!) to his mother Margaretta S. Morse (Wederstrandt), in part: "I have gone through some tragic scenes since I parted you all at home, on the 2nd June…I wrote you from Fortress Monroe…there we were put on a steamer & went up to Norfolk, lay there all night and in the morning took on some more prisoners & steamed down towards Hampton Roads…passed Fortress Monroe and out to sea on our way to Fort Delaware…the Yankee Lieut. said…he had no idea of the change…our plan had been agreed upon by the prisoners from N. Orleans; none or few of the Norfolk prisoners knowing anything about it until…[we] had culminated in our capturing the boat. The signal was a bow on the whistle when three of us being in readiness, near each sentinel, should seize him, throw him down and take his musket & hold him prisoner while ten or twelve of our men made a rush at the arms stacked in the cabin…all this was the work of a moment and when the Lieutenant came rushing out of his stateroom…enquiring "What's the matter?" He was quietly told to be silent & return whence he came. That the tables were turned and that he was our prisoner. I have the musket, bayonet, cartridge box and belt which I took from one of the sentinels. Two of them resisted…we knocked them down with the butt of the gun and told them we would blow their brains out…they dropped their guns…there was no blood shed. We then called all the Yanks in a crowd & put a guard of three officers with loaded guns over them…if any demonstration was made we'd use the bayonet & gun. The Capt. of the boat, pilot & engineers all had a guard over them and the former was given to understand that if any signals were made or any of the machinery was allowed to get out of order we would beach the boat and blow her up. All this took place about three o'clock in the evening of June 10th, nine miles outside of Fortress Monroe. [Redacted by Morse family member who cut out the name, writing in the missing word on the verso] proved to be a coward and refused to have anything to do with it & staid on board; Capt. Fuller and Musselman [Lt. J. M. Musselman, 14th La. Vols.] and McLean [Capt. F. J. McLean, 9th Tenn. Cavalry]were not able to leave; but every man who left her (71 in number) arrived here safely last Tuesday morning, a dirtier…used up, but happier set of devils…we had to leave all our clothes and things behind…all that is nothing when compared to our escape from the Yanks. We landed on the beach eight miles south of Cape Henry light at dark & marched all night along the beach, making 32 miles from the point we started from till nine next morning…without water the whole time…we made our way marching at night & hiding during the day in the swamps. The enemy had cavalry, infantry and gunboats after us, but we slipped by them one night in small boats & sailed forty six miles. We had some suffering, hardship, narrow escapes etc. & were two weeks making our way to our lines, but I thank God we reached Dixie in safety. I am staying with Mr. Jas. Lyons and keeping quiet to rest myself for…I am pretty nearly fagged out…I have given you my account of the "Maple Leaf" affair. Yr., Porter". A great account of this nearly unheard of affair in American Civil War history. We had to search long to find any reference to this successful escape by Confederate officers. Union Department of Virginia commander General John A. Dix's report says that the Maple Leaf left Fortress Monroe at 1:30 p.m. on June 10, 1863 for Fort Delaware with 97 Rebel officers aboard. All but thirty of the prisoners rose up and overpowered the guard. Afterwards, Dix recommended that the commander of the guard be dismissed from the service due to negligence of duty while Lieut. Col. William D. Ludlow, agent for the exchange of prisoners said that the escapees would be hung if recaptured. Interestingly, the Maple Leaf was sunk by a Confederate torpedo in the St. Johns river near Jacksonville, Florida on April 1, 1864. Also included is a postwar letter, 1p. 8vo., written by Professor William Hand Browne, John Hopkins University, May 23, 1899 addressed to Morse bringing his attention to an article in the Southern Magazine of Sept. 1871, entitled: "The Capture of the Maple Leaf" and mentioning that he would be happy to pick up a copy of the magazine for Morse if wanted. Minor stains, else both VG 2000-3000 (2 pieces)
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