328

Gustavus W. Smith

Currency:USD Category:Collectibles / Autographs Start Price:NA Estimated At:800.00 - 1,000.00 USD
Gustavus W. Smith

Bidding Over

The auction is over for this lot.
The auctioneer wasn't accepting online bids for this lot.

Contact the auctioneer for information on the auction results.

Search for other lots to bid on...
Auction Date:2018 Dec 05 @ 18:00 (UTC-5 : EST/CDT)
Location:236 Commercial St., Suite 100, Boston, Massachusetts, 02109, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Civil War-dated LS and set of four telegrams, each signed “G. W. Smith,” four pages on two sheets, 7.25 x 10.75. The letter is dated November 9, 1862, and addressed from Richmond Headquarters to General Robert E. Lee, informing him of troop movements and that the "enemy are at Hamilton, 8 to 10000 strong…Gen French estimates the enemy at four to one against him, and considers his force unequal to holding the rich seaboard counties with their large supplies…His instructions are to protect Weldon, Petersburg and the Rail Road. I think he can do this at present with the force he has. But a portion of this force must be sent to Wilmington in a few days…The question of supplies for the Winter has I know engaged your attention. With an increased force we might secure in Eastern North Carolina several millions of pounds of Pork & beef and a large amount of corn & forage…The enemy's Cavalry dashed into Fredericksburg to-day, but were driven across the river and chased several miles. We lost one killed, three wounded, we took two prison[ers]." The first telegram, addressed to Lee and dated November 10, 1862, in part: "General French telegraphs that the enemy have fallen back to Plymouth. The transportation of the N. C. Regiments will be kept here." The second telegram, also from November 10, is addressed to Colonel Ball: "Communicate all information of importance to General R. E. Lee at Culpepper C. H. as well as to me. See that your pickets on the left are in communication with those of General Lee." The third, November 11, sent to Major General Samuel G. French, in part: "The Secretary of War directs that you send four regiments to the vicinity of Wilmington immediately." The final telegram, November 11, addressed to Lee, in part: "The enemy are within thirty five miles of the place, one column at McDowell and one at Raleigh Springs. Both columns amounting to five or six thousand. Can you send me more troops." In overall fine condition.

On November 5, 1862, President Lincoln relieved George B. McClellan as Commander of the Army of the Potomac following McClellan’s failure to aggressively pursue Lee after Antietam, replacing him with Ambrose Burnside the day Smith’s letter was written. Lee responded to Smith on the following day, in full: ‘Your letter of the 9th has been received. I directed the Mississippi regiments to return to Richmond the evening the North Carolina regiments arrived, and Colonel Corley reported to me the following morning that they had gone. I did not learn until that night that Colonel Corley had been mistaken, the report to him by the quartermaster of General Hood’s division having been intended to convey the intelligence that the regiments had been marched to Mitchell’s Depot to take the train. I regret that they were detained at the station until cars could be procured for their transportation after I had been informed of their detention.

I am glad to receive your opinion that General French will be able to protect Weldon, Petersburg, and the railroad with his present forces. His strength could be increased if the regiments of Evans’ brigade could be filled by conscripts from South Carolina, and I desire that you will request the Secretary of War to endeavor to do so. If the new troops in North Carolina could be at once brought into the field, they could surely, in addition to those you now have, enable you to secure the forage, beef, and pork in the eastern part of the State. This is not only important, but will be necessary, in my opinion, to insure a supply of provisions for the army, and I beg you will use every effort to accomplish it. It would be very desirable to increase our forces in Fredericksburg, and I would be very glad to send the Sixty-First Virginia and the Norfolk Blues, as you propose, to that place, but I am really unable to replace them on the Upper Rappahannock at this time. The diminution of the cavalry from a disease among the horses is lamentable. I learned from General Stuart’s adjutant–general to-day that the colonel of the Ninth Virginia Cavalry reported only 90 effective men for duty. While the pressure of service is so great upon the cavalry, I see no means of recruiting it. I am glad to learn from the report of Mr. Ould that the officers and men delivered at Aiken’s Landing are exchanged.’