The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

26 September 1863

Seddon, James A. (1815-1880)

Letter signed

Title: to Edward R. Archer

Letter of transit written for Archer granting him permission to sail from any Confederate port to Europe. Written on offical paper with "Confederate States of America, War Department" letterhead. Seddon was Confederate secretary of war. On the attached integral leaf is an autograph endorsement signed by William Henry Chase Whiting (1824-1865), a Confederate major general who, at the time, was in charge of keeping open the port of Wilmington, North Carolina.

GLC01896.063

2 November 1863

Palacios, Cipriano (fl. 1850-1860)

Document signed

Title: [Passport] [in Spanish]

Passport, in Spanish, granted to Edward R. Archer for travel without hindrance from Nassau to Havana aboard "la Goleta Lola." Green Spanish stamp on verso with docket. Palacios was Mexican consul in the Bahamas. Written from the Port of Nassau, in the Bahamas.

GLC01896.064

6 November 1863

Jeffery, Richard W. (fl. 1855-1899)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron [Jeffery]

Requests that Aaron always write "...as fully as you did in the last letter," and praises him for deciding not to take Ann out of school to save money. Richard promises that as soon as he is able he will send money to help the family out--enclosing twenty dollars in this letter. He admits that his "extravagance and high prices" have kept him from saving any of his pay. Goes on to speculate that the "Yankees will demolish Sumter if they can but thus far their ability has not been equal to their desire," even though their artillery daily kills and wounds some of the garrison. Richard frets...

GLC01896.065

15 November 1863

Archer, William M. (fl. 1863)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Annie [Jeffery]

Archer writes on a Sunday morning "when you are all at church listening to Dr. Minnigerade..." to remind Annie of her repeated promises that he'll "never see the form of [her] handwriting again this year...," and for this reason he is writing home for the first time. He continues with a description of his Confederate camp near the Orange County depot, it being the "prettiest" he has stayed in "for many a 'coons age'". William says that he and his comrades dread having to leave their comfortable shelters but admits that "...all must expect such in circumstances as long as there is a Yankee...

GLC01896.066

7 March 1864

Jeffery, Aaron (fl. 1855-1864)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to [Robert W. Jeffery]

Greatly relieved to have finally heard from Richard, Aaron Jeffery writes a battle account of the "fight of which you enquire" which he had been involved in "accidentally." The Armory Battalion, to which he was attached, initially pushed back Yankee pickets but was then surprise-attacked by a much larger body of 500 or 600 infantry and dismounted cavalrymen, and the Armory Battalion broke and retreated. Later, however, the Confederates were reinforced by another battalion and two Virginia regiments and managed to push back the Federals. Mentions poor condition of his battalion from lack of...

GLC01896.067

24 March 1864

Jeffery, Richard W. (fl. 1855-1899)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Jeffery

Seeking information about Grant's anticipated attack on Richmond, Richard is particularly interested in what his brother thinks might happen and in how local opinion is running. Jeffery expresses his hope that the attack will "...end as have all their other attempts heretofore." He then goes on to talk about Confederate victories in Florida and Generals Morgan and Longstreet peformances. He discusses Longstreet's Tennessee Campaign, his failure to capture Knoxville, and the poor conduct of Confederate soldiers there. Requests subscriptions to several outside newspapers so that he can be...

GLC01896.068

16 July 1864

Jeffery, Richard W. (fl. 1855-1899)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Jeffery

Richard apologizes for the delay in answering Aaron's last letter noting that the break in the mails kept him from getting a letter dated 29 June until 15 July. Richard hopes that the family is safe now that Grant's campaign against Richmond has failed and that "...the future efforts of the enemy will all be vain..." Mentions high expectations for General Early's and Johnston's campaigns. Concludes with a series of questions about whether letters and telegraphs have been received. "Let me know if you still are in the field & how long a time you have spent in it. I am very uneasy about you...

GLC01896.069

6 October 1864

Jeffery, Richard W. (fl. 1855-1899)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Jeffery

Thanks for the bolt of cloth that Aaron sent, but maintains that he has enough clothes and that it would have been better used for the children. Hopes that Sherman "...will at last be outgeneralled & that his army will be entirely destroyed,...[and] that Grant will fail before Richmond...so we will have peace." Adds that Early continues to make up lost ground and push Sheridan even more.

GLC01896.070

8 January 1865

Archer, Edward R. (fl. 1830-1917)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his mother

Archer writes to his mother, Frances, from England where he has sailed in the steamer C. S. S. Hawk in order to sell it at auction. His spirits are very low as he discusses the damage done by the failure of the "scheme to establish the V[irginia]. V[olunteer]. N[avy]." and says he desires to defend his role in the matter. Furthermore, he makes repeated references to H. [Samuel Harrison, President of the Board of the Volunteer Virginia Navy] who has apparently vanished. Lamenting that he is almost broke, he borrowed money to pay his expenses in Bermuda, and has "one and sixpence just enough...

GLC01896.071

14 January 1865

Archer, Edward R. (fl. 1830-1917)

Autograph letter signed

Title: to his father

Archer announces that the "Hawk" has been sold at public auction for a little more than ten thousand pounds, leaving a balance of more than five thousand pounds outstanding to cover travel costs. A ship built for a "particular" purpose [blockade running], the Hawk would require a complete refit to be useable by the buyer and that, Archer asserts, depressed the price. Most of the letter continues the theme of his previous letter to his mother in which he refers to his father [GLC 1896.071]. Archer claims that he is totally broke and informs Edward that he is going to use the proceeds of his...

GLC01896.072