Tittle, George A., fl. 1862-1864 [Letters written by George A. Tittle while cruising the North Atlantic aboard the USS Kearsarge] [decimalized .01-.19]

to his sister

Writes to his sister and says that he is enclosing 50 dollars in treasury notes. Would have sent more but did not anticipate being at the Portsmouth Navy Yard for so long. Says he has an allotment of 10 dollars a month for 2 years beginning on 31...

GLC02828.01

to his sister

Says his last letter was dictated because he was unable to write. That was because he injured his finger while assisting the ship's doctor remove the tonsils of another sailor. After making the cut, the doctor handed the knife to him "the point of...

GLC02828.02

to his sister

Says she was supposed to send letters to the American consul at Gibraltar before, but now asks her not to send any letters until she hears from him again. Says they have orders to leave Algeciras for Cadiz on 1 September. After that it is assumed...

GLC02828.03

to his father

Says they are anchored in Gibraltar Bay for the purpose of painting the ship. Says they will probably stay until 1 October, when they expect to be relieved by the "Tuscarora." They will then go to Philadelphia for slight repairs, if not ordered...

GLC02828.04

to his father

Says they left Algeciras, Spain on 1 October and arrived in the Azores on 6 October. They are coaling and will be cruising in a few hours, he says. They are cruising with the "Tuscarora" in pursuit of two rebel steamers. One of them is the CSS...

GLC02828.05

to his sister

Says last letter sent was on 25 November 1862 by a barque bound for New York. Says they are at the Navy Yard in Cadiz with no prospect of leaving before the middle of March. Says if they went to an American port all their repairs could have been done...

GLC02828.06

to his sister

References receiving his sister's letter of 6 January 1863 on 24 January, while receiving her letter of 7 January on 4 February. Claims they are the only letters he has received from Portsmouth since he left one year and one day ago. Says he received...

GLC02828.07

to his sister

References his sister's letters of 25 July and 5 September 1862, which he received on 15 March 1863. Also received her letters from 5 & 7 January as well as 5 February. Tells her not send letter by the Naval Lyceum as letters are allowed to sit there...

GLC02828.08

to his sister

Says they arrived at Cadiz this morning from "a very pleasant cruise." Reports that he left Cadiz for the cruise on 26 March and that he visited all the "'Western Islands,' Madeira to Gibraltar in 69 hours." Received new officers at Fayal Island...

GLC02828.09

to his sister

Says it has been so long since he has written that she probably assumes he did not intend to write again. Says for past 2 months the "Kearsarge" has been cruising among the Canary, Madeira, & Western Islands. Says they will probably stay in Fayal...

GLC02828.10

to his sister

Says he sent a letter to her a few days ago, but did not know where he was going. Can now tell her that tonight he is leaving "for St. Michael, to return in a few days, then we are to proceed to Cadiz and Gibraltar." Reports he had an opportunity to...

GLC02828.11

to his sister

Says on 7 September while at Funchal, Madeira, they learned the CSS "Florida" was in the English Channel and they immediately started in pursuit of her. Put in to Ferrol, Spain on 14 September for coal. Heard that the "Florida" had gone to Brest...

GLC02828.12

to his sister

Tells her he is now steaming up the English Channel and that he will send this letter by the first port they land in, either Calais or Dover. Left the waters around Brest on 17 January to go to Cadiz in order to reprovision, get coal, and have the...

GLC02828.13

to his sister

Tells her it is just 27 months to this day that the "Kearsarge" has been commissioned and that their cruise will be done soon. Says he can "safely state" that they will be home around the end of June or early July. Reports that on 28 March their...

GLC02828.14

to his sister

Says this will probably be the last letter she will receive from him this cruise. Arrived in Dover from Flushing, Holland yesterday. Says they will leave for Madeira tonight or tomorrow and from there to the U.S. Says he has reason to think their...

GLC02828.15

to his sister

Tells her he informed her that he would be home soon in his last letter, but he says that information was premature. Reports that on the day they were supposed to sail for Madeira, they received dispatches from the American minister to France, which...

GLC02828.16

to his sister

Written directly after the engagement with the "Alabama." Says one week ago while in Flushing, Holland, Captain Winslow received information of the arrival of the CSS "Alabama" at Cherbourg. Says they left immediately and remained sitting outside...

GLC02828.17

to his sister

References her letter of 21 June, which he received on his arrival to Dover from Cherbourg on 6 July. Will cross over the English Channel tonight to Boulogne, and if they stay there long enough he will buy her the gloves she requested. Reports that...

GLC02828.18

to his sister

Says their relief, the "Iroquois," arrived yesterday. Reports they leave tonight for Cherbourg to receive their wounded and that they will proceed home from there, probably via Cadiz and the Western Islands. Says she can expect him about the middle...

GLC02828.19