Civil War–dated ALS signed “J. E. B.,” one page, 5 x 8, April 29, 1864. Letter home to his wife Flora Stuart. In full: “P. S. Here is the pincushion. Old Wessells (2d U. S. Infy) was the Brigadier captured at Plymouth. I see that old Leander Ker of Ft. Leavenworth repute is a chaplain to some Hospital in Richmond. Jno Esten went to the Horse Artillery the other day. ‘Sic itur ad astra.’ Ms. Scott’s glass delivered.” In very good to fine condition, with light creasing, and splits along edges of intersecting folds.
Only four years earlier Stuart had served side-by-side with Henry W. Wessells against the Kiowa and Comanche, and now they found themselves on opposing sides. On April 17th, Wessells had been forced to surrender the Union’s fortifications at Plymouth, North Carolina, and was captured and jailed in Libby Prison. Early in his career Stuart had been stationed at Fort Leavenworth, where Leander Ker was chaplain; the reverend had sided with the Confederacy, and authored a tract entitled ‘Slavery Consistent with Christianity.’ Stuart at last refers to John Esten Cooke, Flora’s cousin, who was a novelist and staff officer in Stuart’s command. Stuart was mortally wounded just twelve days after writing this letter, shot at the Battle of Yellow Tavern; Flora, in mourning, wore black for the rest of her life. Offering something of a nostalgic career retrospective, this is an ideal and interesting war-dated letter. Pre-certified PSA/DNA.
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