Dickson, William G. (fl. 1861-1866) to E. Levassor
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC05732.06 Author/Creator: Dickson, William G. (fl. 1861-1866) Place Written: Savannah, Georgia Type: Autograph letter signed Date: 7 October 1866 Pagination: 4 p. ; 24.1 x 19.6 cm. Order a Copy
Dickson, a Marshal who served as a Union Major during the Civil War apologizes to his grandfather (possibly Eugene Levassor) for tardy correspondence and for being unable to visit in autumn. States that since one of his partners in a turpentine and rosin manufacturing firm mismanaged affairs, he assumed responsibility for 2/3 of the 10,000 acre pine tree forest and plans to travel to the manufacturing site to supervise business. Informs Levassor of rampant illness in Savannah, stating "The cholera has been quite bad here among the blacks and a few cases among the whites." States that General Davis Tillson acquired a cotton plantation in Georgia near the coast, and that Tillson will be mustered out of service in December. Describes being lost in the Georgia wilderness with a guide who was unfamiliar with the road.
General Davis Tillson served as Chief of Artillery of the Department of Ohio and head of defenses at Cincinnati, Ohio and Knoxville, Tennessee during the Civil War. After the War, he was appointed Assistant Commissioner for the United States Bureau of Refugees, Freedmen, and Abandoned Lands. Eugene Levassor served in Napoleon Bonaparte's army in France. After moving to several other countries, he settled in Cincinnati, Ohio, and finally retired to an estate in Covington, Kentucky.
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.