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Lot 322
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Civil War Sailor to His Mother and Sisters and Story of His Death, Poignant Last Letters
Civil War Sailor to His Mother and Sisters and Story of His Death, Poignant Last Letters
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Description:

Civil War Sailor to His Mother and Sisters and Story of His Death, Poignant Last Letters

"The 'Tuscumbia' is really disabled, at least as much so that she will not be taken under the fire of heavy batteries again until repaired, and as soon as Vicksburgh surrenders (which cannot be many days) we shall go to St Louis for repairs...."

This fascinating series of letters gives details on General Ulysses S. Grant's strategy in the capture of Vicksburg and reassures family members after the author's gunboat was hit 81 times in the Battle of Grand Gulf.

Serving about the gunboat USS Tuscumbia on the western rivers in the Civil War, Ensign Ambrose H. Edson wrote these two letters to his mother and sisters in Centralia, Illinois. The first letter describes a brief foray up the Tennessee River, followed by a descent down the Mississippi River to the mouth of the Yazoo River near Vicksburg, Mississippi. The second letter reassures his family that he is safe after the Battle of Grand Gulf and predicts the eminent fall of Vicksburg.

Just over a month after he wrote the second letter, Edson died aboard the Tuscumbia, just days after Vicksburg had surrendered to the forces of General Ulysses S. Grant.

[CIVIL WAR]. Remarkable and poignant archive, consisting of:
- Ambrose H. Edson, Autograph Letter Signed, to his mother, March 30, 1863, USS Tuscumbia, "Mouth of Yazoo river." 4 pp., 5" x 8";
- Ambrose H. Edson, Autograph Letter Signed, to his mother and sisters, June 2, 1863, USS Tuscumbia, "below Vicksburg," [Mississippi]. 4 pp., 5" x 8";
- Paymaster George A. Lyon, USS Tuscumbia, Autograph Letter Signed, to Acting Ensign W. S. Pease, USS Osage, Cairo, July 29, 1863. 3 pp., 5" x 8".
Expected folds; excellent condition.

Excerpts
[Edson, March 30:]
"our orders were for the Tennessee river. We left the next day and went up as far as 'Ford Hindman' [Fort Heiman] a little above 'Fort Henry' in company with several other Gunboats and several transports, loaded with troops belonging to Gen. [Alexander Sandor] Asboths command – found nothing the matter up there requiring our presence, & left for Cairo, at which place we arrived on the 15th. My complaint came on me worse than ever, so that I was obliged to give up duty, in which condition I have been to the present time, although I have now recovered everything but strength, and that is coming fast."
"I do not know what our next movement will be, but it will probably be something soon, as the Admiral is not disposed to let us 'spoil' for want of something to do. The whole fleet is here, but some of the boats are much in want of repairs. There are many rumors of what our next movement is to be, but no one knows anything certain. The 'Indianola's men are still prisoners, at least no one here knows to the contrary. I want to see William [S. Pease] very much, & shall strain every nerve to do so, as soon as he is exchanged."

[Edson, June 2:]
"I can assure you that I concealed nothing from you in my letter written after the battle of Grand Gulf. I have not lost either leg or arm (that I know of) and as the gunboat fighting is pretty much over now, I expect to give you ocular evidence of the fact within a very few weeks at the farthest—The 'Tuscumbia' is really disabled, at least as much so that she will not be taken under the fire of heavy batteries again until repaired, and as soon as Vicksburgh surrenders (which cannot be many days) we shall go to St Louis for repairs when I expect to pay you a visit, and as she will necessarily be laid up for two or three months I expect (this is private) that my connection with the U.S. Navy will come to a conclusion, as I am heartily sick of the service although I do not make any complaint here, nor do I wish it known abroad at present, as it might prevent me from getting my resignation accepted, at least without some trouble."
"Vicksburgh has not yet surrendered and the announcement in the papers was premature, but the result is sure, and it is only a question of time. Genl Grant has the place completely hemmed in, and could take the place in an hour (so he says, and so his officers all believe) but it would be at a great sacrifice of life and he says that his men have behaved so nobly through this whole expedition that he can not bear to sacrifice one of them unnecessarily. The cooler of his officers take the same view, but a few are impatient and would rush in at all hazards. All agree that there can be but one result, and that is only a question of time, as to when Vicksburgh will come into our possession. The weather is awful hot and we have no ice, and nothing to drink cooler than the water in the river over the side. There is considerable sickness in the fleet, but not any more than would naturally be expected."

[Lyon, July 29:]
"Mr Edson died on the 8th instant; after about two weeks sickness, from a very aggravated type of Remittent fever. The Officers of the ship, presuming that it would be gratifying to his relatives to receive his body, purchased a Metallic Coffin, and had his body placed on board the steamer 'New National,' which we supposed was about to start for Cairo. His trunks were also packed, and his jewelry one up, and all directed to his Mothers address at Centralia, in the care of the Grand Master of the Cairo lodge of Free Masons; and given to Capt Grant of the New National. That evening we started up the river to Milliken's bend. I have since learned that the 'New National was delayed at Vicksburgh so long, that It became necessary to bury him on the point opposite the town, but that the place of his burial is so marked that it can be easily distinguished. I presume his trunks &c have reached Cairo."

Historical Background
The USS Tuscumbia was built at Cincinnati, Ohio, in 1862 and launched on December 2. It was commissioned at Cairo, Illinois, with Lieutenant Commander James W. Shirk in command. The ship had two sidewheels and two screw propellors and carried a complement of 130 officers and men. It carried 5 Dahlgren smoothbore shell guns. In mid-March 1863, the Tuscumbia assisted with the recapture of Fort Heiman on the Tennessee River. It had originally been captured as part of General Ulysses S. Grant's assault on Fort Henry, which lay across the Tennessee River in Kentucky.

The Tuscumbia then descended the Mississippi River to Vicksburg, then under siege by a combined Union naval and army force. On April 1, the Tuscumbia carried Admiral David D. Porter and Generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman on a reconnaissance expedition up the Yazoo River to determine whether they could land a force at Hayne's Bluff. Heavy fire from shore batteries convinced the officers that they should shift operations south of Vicksburg to Grand Gulf. On the night of April 16-17, the Tuscumbia participated in the run past the Vicksburg batteries, towing the damaged transport Forest Queen to safety.

On April 29, the Tuscumbia took part in the assault on Confederate works at Grand Gulf. During the attack, the Tuscumbia was put out of action, after being hit by Confederate fire 81 times and suffering five casualties. Although the bombardment of Forts Wade and Cobun at Grand Gulf, Mississippi, silenced Fort Wade and killed its commander, the Confederate position held. The next day, Union forces crossed the river and won a victory at the Battle of Fort Gibson on May 1. This victory forced Confederates to abandon the forts at Grand Gulf, and Grant's forces moved inland, defeated Confederate relief forces at the Battle of Champion Hill on May 16, and began the siege of Vicksburg on May 18.

The USS Tuscumbia was quickly repaired and participated in attacks on Vicksburg batteries on May 19 and 22. Vicksburg, "the Gibraltar of the Confederacy," surrendered on July 4, 1863, the day following the three-day battle in the East at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The Tuscumbia returned to Memphis for repairs in August but was laid up in November. Additional repairs in May 1864 allowed the gunboat to resume patrol duty on the Ohio River between Cairo and the mouth of the Tennessee River.

Ambrose Hamilton Edson (1825-1863) was born in Connecticut to Rev. Ambrose Edson and his wife Miranda Elizabeth Hamilton Edson (1802-1879). He had three sisters, but one died as an infant. In 1855, he married Hellen M. Hilton, and they had one daughter. In 1860, he was a clerk in Cairo, Illinois. During the Civil War, he served as an ensign aboard the USS Tuscumbia. He died aboard the ship on July 8, 1863, and was later buried in Connecticut.

George A. Lyon (1837-1914) was born in Pennsylvania and graduated from Dartmouth College in 1858. He was admitted to the Pennsylvania bar in 1861 and received an appointment as an assistant paymaster in the U.S. Navy in June 1862. He served aboard the USS Tuscumbia from March to December 1863. He rose through the ranks of paymaster (1866), pay inspector (1888), and pay director (1898). In December 1898, he was placed on the retired list as pay director with the rank of rear admiral.

William S. Pease (1832-1915) was born in Connecticut. In July 1859, he married Margaret A. Billings and moved to California. He entered the U.S. Navy in October 1862 as an ensign aboard the USS Indianola. When that ship was sunk and its crew captured in February 1863, Pease became a prisoner. He was exchanged on June 6, 1863, and was ordered to the monitor USS Osage in July. In October, the Osage captured the Confederate steamers Robert Fulton and Argus. Ensign Pease was promoted to master in January 1864 and resigned in January 1865. After the war, he moved to Citronelle, Alabama.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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