Description:

(UNION NAVY) KIDDER R. BREESE DEALS WITH A DESPONDENT CONFEDERATE WIFE
KIDDER R. BREESE (1831-1881) U.S. Navy officer, commanded a squadron of mortar schooners during Admiral David D. Porter's advance on New Orleans, later commanded the naval landing forces during the assault on Fort Fisher and served as Porter's fleet captain. A good pair of signed war-date items, includes: Fine content and association A. L. S. ‘K. R. Breese', 2pp. 8vo., [n.p., n.d.], to ‘Admiral', undoubtedly Porter. Immediately following the abortive Red River Campaign in the Spring of 1864, Breese writes to ask advice on what to do with a woman and her family who have been pestering Union forces to be allowed to search for her Confederate husband. In full: ‘Old Doming [?] has sent me Mrs Brown, nurse and child to look out for. You may recollect a young woman who came to see you at Red River who had been in search of her Husband and you promised when you went to Shreveport you would let her go up there. She has given up looking for her Husband and poor woman is almost heart broken and quite desperate. Genl. [Curvier] Grover refused her permission to go up and now she is beside herself and consigned to my tender mercies. She cant get quarters at the Hotel and I hope you will relieve me by granting her permission to come to you and be shipped off by flag of Truce as she devoutly wishes [all sic].' Breese signs in black ink at the conclusion, adding his rank. Shows original mailing folds and a mounting strip to the verso along the left edge, otherwise in very good overall condition. SOLD WITH: a second A.L.S. ‘K. R. Breese', 1p. 4to., Hampton Roads, Oct. 17, 1864, to the commander of the sidewheel gunboat USS WILDERNESS. Breese, writing aboard Porter's flagship, the captured blockade runner USS MALVERN, directs his correspondent to transport a ‘Col J B Swayne', likely J. B. Swain, commander of the 11th New York Cavalry, to the front. Breese signs at the conclusion in black ink, adding his rank ‘fleet capt'. Shows original mailing folds, slightly ragged at the left edge, otherwise in very good condition. Two pieces. As Porter's flagship, USS Malvern frequently hosted conferences between Porter, Grant and Lincoln, and conveyed the President to Richmond following that city's evacuation in April of 1865. The ship was the scene of the confrontation between Lincoln and pro-Confederate Democratic politician Duff Green, in which Lincoln angrily condemned Green as a traitor and ordered him removed from the ship.

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March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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