Raynors HCA 2015-11
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 12/3/2015
A good pair of Confederate officer's letters, totaling 13pp. (counting cross hatching) 8vo., written by Lt. Alexander Porter Morse, CSA Ordnance Department. The first was written from Shreveport. La., Feb. 8, 1865, to his mother Margaretta S. Morse (Wederstrandt), in part: "…on the 19th of January (the day before I left New Iberia for Alexandria…I stopped with Mrs. Amadie Bringier who received me very cordially…she is a god-daughter of your Uncle John Wederstrandt, she was packing up and about moving to this place which is filled up with city people. Miss. Emma Herman…was an old sweetheart of my friend Maj. Leeds of the 18th La. Regt., but temporarily on Gen. Taylor's staff I am now his guest and he talks much of Miss. H…Willie Freret…is also here and a member of the Congress Club (a mess composed of Gen. Smith's staff)…Gen. M. [James Patrick Major] is still west and shall leave here in a day or two to join him. Coming up on the boat from Alexandria I met Mr. Limper (Englishmen) who informed me that he knew my family…you will be surprised to hear of Gen. T. G. Hunt's marriage. He was married last night to the widow of Ford, fair, fat & forty, with four children &…two hundred thousand dollars. I wonder what his brother Randall will think of this…PS I find the Thornton's, at whose house I was captured in "63, settled here. Maj. Cunningham and myself serpent last evening with them and were very pleasantly entertained…Gen. [Pail Octave] Herbert lost his eldest son of yellow fever in Houston. While in Alexandria I roomed with Nick Trist of the O. L. H. and aid to Gen. Thomas…Maj. Gen. [Camille Armand J. M. Prince de] Polignac has gone to Europe on a mission. I leave here in a day or two for Crockett, Texas where I will meet Gen. M….the Averys are still in Houston and I believe they are settled there until the war is over…your devoted son Porter". .... The second letter is written to a friend, [n. p., n. d., but Shreveport, ca. Feb. 8, 1865] is a partial to a friend with roughly the same information as the above, but with more detail. It reads, in part: "…John is now in camp with his division, two miles from town, likes Gen. Forney and tents with a very clever gentleman…a barbecue and fete [will] be given the command next Saturday by the people of Caddo and Bossier, after a grand review of Gen. Smith…Yancey is also here and awaits Gen. Magruder's arrival, Gen. M. is looked for daily. He will be here only a few days and return to Arkansas. Y. has quite astonished the Shereportians by the variety and brilliancy of his toilet and they still wonder at the extent of his ward robe…Dr. Kennedy is in town on his way to Marshall [Texas]…Dr. Taylor was here during the meeting of the legislature but has returned to Opelousas in company with Bob Ogdens who was admitted to his seat in the house and made a beautiful and touching speech on the occasion picturing in bright and poetic figures the desolation, ruin and destruction that marked the track of the invader last spring…Malcolm had passed safely through the bloody and disastrous battle around Nashville. Nathan was still near Mobile in "Fort Jeb Stuart" killing time…Ned Butler, Willie Mumford…were in the same garrison…I enclose you a very handsome tribute to the memory of Major Pelham which I had published…Major Leeds is at his office and in the absence of Col. [Samuel Smith] Anderson [Kirby Smith staff officer] is very busy…affecty yr friend, A. P. M." Both VG. (2 pieces)
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.