NOT SOLD (BIDDING OVER)
0.00USD+ applicable fees & taxes.
This item WAS NOT SOLD. Auction date was 2012 Sep 27 @ 11:00UTC-04:00 : AST/EDT
"We were the first to fire at her & the first shot struck her in the bow…"
A great war-date Union sailor's letter, 6pp. 8vo., by "Jes" of the USS "Port Royal", New Orleans, Apr. 26, [1865] telling of the destruction of the Confederacy's last privateer, the CSS "Webb" built in New York in 1856 and issued a Confederate privateer's commission in May 1861. In 1862 CSA Gen. Mansfield Lovell converted her into a ram and she operated on the Red and Mississippi rivers throughout the war, helping sink the USS "Indianola" in early 1863. In 1865, she was ordered to sea to raid against Northern commerce in the Pacific Ocean with the flamboyant CSN Capt. Charles "Savez" Read (1840-1890) as her commander. This letter describes her demise. In part: "...There has been a very daring deed committed on this river…the Rebel steamer W. H. Webb started from some place on the Red River with the intention of getting to sea…she passed the fleet at the Red River & all the forts on the river…under the disguise of a transport called the Rob Roy which she very much resembles. She run out of the Red River under cover of the night…the Union fleet missed her and Admiral [Samuel] Lee's flag ship came…after her. The telegraph wires were cut above & below this city…we could not get a dispatch down here but…we got the news in time…we sent a quartermaster to the mast…to look out for here & about half past twelve…he reported a long low white side wheel steamer coming down the river with the Stars & Strips half mast…she made her appearance around the bend…and would have run…through…had it not been for one of our men who knew the vessel…& told our captain that…it was the W. H. Webb. The order was to fire at her as soon as she [was] within range. She passed the Quaker City & the Selma without receiving a shot. We were the first to fire at her & the first shot struck her in the bow & went nearly through her…all the men of war below us fired at her but did not hit her. She was going down the river at the rate of 30 miles an hour. There was a torpedo projecting from her bow which contained 90 pounds of powder. She did not fire a shot as she passed…the Capt of the Port Royal, one of our engineers & some of the men went onboard of a small side wheel tow boat which was laying alongside of a levee & put after her…they managed to keep close onto the Webb & by blowing their whistle& ringing the bell attracted the attention of the Richmond which was laying about 20 miles below the city. The officers of the Webb seeing there was no way to escape, turned her nose to shore & run her aground, set fire to her & left her. She soon after blew up. She was loaded with cotton, tar, rosin etc. The prevailing opinion here is that Jeff Davis or some other of the leaders of Confederacy were on board of her trying to make their escape…about 30 of her crew were taken yesterday among them the captain & pilot. When they capture the rest of them we will be better able to tell who was on her…". Tape stains affect a few lines of text, else very good.
Estimate: $300 - 400.
Download Our Current PDF Auction Catalog
Part I: Lots 1-979 - September 27th, 2012
Part II: Lots 980-1845 - September 28th, 2012
Auction Location:
860 Canal Street. Second Floor., Stamford, Connecticut, 06902, United States
Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filed with us prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee.
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
22.5% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Handling, shipping and insurance charges will be added to the invoice. Note: Large, heavy and bulky itmes are not shipped by the auctioneer. Client is responsible for arranging shipments for these pieces.
Shipping & Mailing
In most cases, shipping will be by USPS Priority (for domestic) and USPS International Express (for International), or UPS at our discretion, at a fixed rate of $12.00 and $35.00 respectively. If an item is unusually heavy, odd-sized, require special packing techniques or is otherwise out of the ordinary, there may be additional charges. Requests for alternative carriers will be accepted when practical with any additional expense billed to the customer. Combined shipping will be accommodated whenever possible. Insurance is always included and direct signatures will be required.
IMPORTANT: As noted in the Terms and Conditions of Sale, we no longer ship oversized or heavy material. These lots have been identified in the catalog with a short note at the end of the description. We reccomend the following shippers for this material:
Alexander Services
94 Franklin St.,
Stamford, CT 06901
Tel. (203) 324-4012
The UPS Store
65 High Ridge Road
Stamford, CT 06905
Tel . (203) 356-0022
Payment Details:
Payment is expected immediately upon, (but not before) receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via mail, phone, fax, or in person. We accept checks, money orders, Visa, Mastercard, and PayPal (payable to sales@alexautographs.com). All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filed with us prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee.
Accepted Payment Methods:
- VISA
- Master Card
- Money Order/Bank Draft
- Check/Cheque
- PayPal
- See Payment Details
- Wire Transfer
1. This auction is conducted under the laws of the State of Connecticut.
2. This auction will begin at 11:30 AM Eastern time on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22, 2011.
3. There is a 19.5% Buyer’s Premium charged on the final hammer price of each lot. An additional 3% (for a total of 22.5%) will be added to lots purchased live through the Internet via icollector.com.
4. The Auctioneer reserves the right to reject any bid for any reason.
5. The Auctioneer reserves the right to withdraw any lot for any reason.
6. In the event of duplicate high bids, the earliest bid received will be the winner. (Please note absentee bids left with artfact.com do not reach the auctioneer until the lot opens during the live sale).
7. Some lots may carry a reserve beneath which the item will not be sold. Any reserve will always be at or below the low estimate.
8. Detailed descriptions of lots and photocopies are available upon request. Bidders are advised that we warrant ONLY printed descriptions and additional information set forth in the addenda and from the auction block.
9. Illustrations of lots in this catalog and our website may have had size and/or contrast modifications for display purposes.
10. Estimated selling prices are for your guidance only. Actual selling prices may be higher or lower than the estimate indicated, although our estimates tend to be accurate.
11. The placing of a bid legally binds the bidder to purchase the lot at or below the bid placed, plus buyer's premium (see item 3). Bids may not be retracted without our approval: those doing so will be banned from future participation and will be reported to the trade. Please think before you bid! You are legally bound once you do so.
12. Absentee Bidding. All bidding is undertaken in a competitive manner. The winning bid will always be one bidding increment over the second highest bid. The minimum acceptable bid for any lot is one-half of the low estimate given in the item description. Bidders may call us at 203-276-1570 during office hours to check the status of their bids. Live bidding: Bids entered during the course of the sale by bidders on the floor, on the phone, or live on the internet will be taken at the amount bid.
13. Payment is expected immediately upon, (but not before) receipt of invoice. Payments may be made via mail, phone, fax, or in person. We accept checks, money orders, Visa, Mastercard, American Express and PayPal (payable to sales@alexautographs.com). All accounts are payable to Alexander Historical Auctions. Payment must be made in U.S. funds. Wire transfer details are available upon request. Please note that lots purchased are subject to sales taxes where applicable unless a resale number is filed with us prior to the auction. Invoices not paid within thirty days of the date of invoice will incur a 1.5% per month late payment fee.
14. Handling, shipping and insurance charges will be added to the invoice. Note: large, heavy and bulky itmes are not shipped by the auctioneer. Client is responsible for arranging shipments for these pieces. Please see the page titled "Bidding Procedure" for contact information for reccomended shippers.
15. All autograph material in this sale is guaranteed genuine for the life of the original purchaser (unless otherwise stated or if contrary to other provisions of these terms). Any autograph item sold which is determined to be not authentic by two independent dealers or authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale may be returned by the original buyer at any time for an immediate refund of the purchase price (only). Non-autograph items are guaranteed genuine for a period of twenty-one (21) days of receipt if determined to be not authentic by two independent dealers or authenticators acceptable to both parties to the sale. Any declarations of lack of authenticity by any party must be made in writing.
16. Items may also be returned if the catalog description differs significantly from the item’s actual state; such returns must be made within three (3) days of purchaser's receipt of the lot(s). All returned lots must be in the same condition as shipped. All items are in very good condition unless stated otherwise.
17. Any lot containing five or more items is not subject to return for any reason.
18. We do not examine the condition of items contained within frames beyond what is readily visible. Such defects may include, but may not be limited to: mounting, silking, marginal damage, closed tears, “mat burn”, etc. That being the case, we are not responsible for such hidden damage. Bidders are further advised that we are selling the autograph, not the frame, and therefore the condition of the frame shall not be considered reason for return. Shipping costs for framed items may vary greatly depending on the size and/or weight of the frame, and at times these charges may be quite substantial. Customers may request us to remove an autograph from its frame to reduce shipping charges. We will accommodate customers in that respect for an additional charge of $10.00 per framed item, but such service will be undertaken at our sole discretion. Alexander Autographs will be responsible for any damage caused to the VISIBLE area of the item as it appears in the frame. We will in no way be responsible for any pre-existing hidden damage or defect, nor will we be responsible for any damage caused by us to any previously hidden portion of the autograph, its mount, or any material matted with the autograph during removal from the frame.
19. Property purchased and paid for by successful bidders but remaining unclaimed after 120 days will be deemed abandoned and title will be ceded to Alexander Autographs, Inc.
20. The placing of a bid shall constitute acceptance of the preceding terms and conditions of sale as well as the Bidding Procedure guidelines posted in this catalog.
Please note that by submitting a bid in this auction you agree to all the Terms and Conditions of Sale as stated in this catalog or website.