Gibbes, William H. (fl. 1892) to Isaac N. Roland re: an article on Fort Sumter, no bloodshed there, perception
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC04461.04 Author/Creator: Gibbes, William H. (fl. 1892) Place Written: Columbia, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 1892/04/25 Pagination: 1 p. + clipping 27.2 x 21.2 cm Order a Copy
Written on stationery of W. H. Gibbs, Jr. & Company. Gibbes writes about Fort Sumter, how the first battle of the Civil War saw no bloodshed and mentions the fear common among Charleston women and children "that all the 'mans' would be killed."
Notes: Written on stationery of W.H. Gibbs, Jr. & Company.
COLUMBIA, S.C., Apr 25/92
I.N. Roland
Dear Sir
I see from your letter that you are from Freeport Ill. the home of one of my most valued friends and classmates who was killed in our informal war. John J. Sweet , but probably you being a younger man have no knowledge of him and his sterling work. Now you are asking me to do something which is entirely out of my line as I am not given to writing but am willing to do anything to gratify you. I did write the article which you probably saw only at the insistence of friends who know the fact and that an absolutely truthfull [sic] record might be made. If you will remember there was no bloodshed during the siege of the Fort. Therefore the beginning was not typical of the results though our friends in the City of Charleston was very anxious as was illustrated by the information given by our first visitor by boat from the city after the cannonading ceased. "The [inserted: city park near the harbor] battery is full of women & children the women crying, afraid that all the "mans' would be killed & that there would be no more "mans"
Yours resp
W.H. Gibbes
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