West, Lewis H., 1829-? to Mary West
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Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC03836.60 Author/Creator: West, Lewis H., 1829-? Place Written: Morris Island, South Carolina Type: Autograph letter signed Date: December 7, 1863 Pagination: 3 p. : docket ; Height: 24.6 cm, Width: 19.6 cm Order a Copy
References receiving her latest letter. Says "For the first time since I have been in the service I feel thoroughly discontented. I fancied in coming here I was at length going to see active service but find just the reverse." Says they witnessed the sinking of the USS "Weehawken" in bad weather. Says four engineering officers and 29 men, half the crew, died in the sinking. No cause is known yet because of poor communication during the storms. Heard about General Braxton Bragg's defeat in the Confederate newspapers. Says the Union ships fired their guns in a salute. A court of inquiry found that "Weehawken" sank after recently taking on a considerable amount of heavy ammunition in her forward compartments. This change excessively reduced her forward freeboard, causing water to rush down an open hawse pipe and hatch during the storm. As the bow sank, and the stern rose, water could not flow aft to the pumps and the vessel foundered. Written while aboard the USS "New Ironsides"
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