Skip to Main Content Skip to Header Menu Skip to Main Menu Skip to Category Menu Skip to Footer

COMMANDER THOMAS WILLIAM BRENT - MANUSCRIPT LETTER SIGNED 07/28/1862 - HFSID 283737

As Commander of Savannah Naval Station (CSA) in 1862, he authorizes Lt. John Rutledge to assigne new, specified petty officers to the gunboat CSS Savannah. Manuscript Letter signed: "Thos. W. Brent" as Station Commandant, 1 page, 8x9¾.

Price: $1,400.00

Condition: See item description Add to watchlist:
Chat now or call 800-425-5379

THOMAS W. BRENT
As Commander of Savannah Naval Station (CSA) in 1862, he authorizes Lt. John Rutledge to assigne new, specified petty officers to the gunboat CSS Savannah.
Manuscript Letter signed: "Thos. W. Brent" as Station Commandant, 1 page, 8x9¾. Confederate State Naval Station, Savannah, 1862 July 28. On letterhead of the Commandant's Office to Lieut. J. Rutledge, Commanding, Battery Savannah and Savannah River. In full: "By authority of the Bureau of Orders & Detail, you may appoint one gunman Mate, one carpenter Mate, and two Quarter Masters, in addition to the established complement of the Savannah, as given in my letter to you of the 23d inst. The reduction of the Petty Officers of the Savannah (agreeably to my order of the 23d inst) will take place from the 1st inst." Thomas William Brent (1808-1875) was appointed a US Navy Acting Midshipman in 1825. In 1857 Brent, by now a Commander, received his first command: the USS Marion, a 16-gun sloop of war. In January 1861, he resigned his USN commission, and in March 1861 - now a Commander in the Confederate Navy, he took command of the Pensacola Navy Yard. One year later (March 8, 1862), he obeyed an order to evacuate the base, torching the Navy Yard and defending fortifications. He subsequently commanded the Savannah Station (1862-1863), and was then promoted to Commander of Naval Forces West of the Mississippi. In 1864, he received command of the ironclad CSS Savannah, but the ship hit mines while attempting to escape from a Savannah under assault by Sherman's army, and had to be scuttled on December 21. Brent was reassigned to Charleston Station until war's end. After the war, Brent returned to Pensacola, working in the fire/casualty insurance business until his death. The CSS Savannah mentioned here is a steam gunboat used for harbor defense and re-supply missions. Having run the Union blockade successfully, it sank in a storm en route to England with cotton to pay for Confederate munitions and other supplies, in August 1863. It should not be confused with the Confederate ironclad ram Savannah, built in June 1863 and used in defense of Savannah harbor. Thomas Brent was its last commander, as noted above. The letter's recipient, John Rutledge (1820-1894), grandson of South Carolina Governor and US Supreme Court Justice John Rutledge, Jr., commanded several Confederate naval vessels, including later the ironclad ram Palmetto State. Horizontal fold creases. One small hole at lower crease 1" from lower edge at center. Moisture stains at upper left margin and lower address block - does not affect content. Creased. Otherwise, fine condition.

This website image may contain our company watermark. The actual item does not contain this watermark
See more listings from these signers
Make an offer today and get a quick response
Check your account for the status.

Following offer submission users will be contacted at their account email address within 48 hours. Our response will be to accept your offer, decline your offer or send you a final counteroffer. All offers can be viewed from within the "Offer Review" area of your HistoryForSale account. Please review the Make Offer Terms prior to making an offer.

If you have not received an offer acceptance or counter-offer email within 24-hours please check your spam/junk email folder.

 

Fast World-Wide Shipping

Fast FedEx and USPS shipping

Authenticity Guarantee

COA with every purchase

All Questions Answered

Contact us day or night

Submit an Offer Today

Get a quick response