Description:

(UNION NAVY) USS MOUND CITY COMMANDER BYRON WILSON
BYRON WILSON (1837-1893) U.S. Navy captain who served as second commander of the ironclad gunboat USS MOUND CITY. War-date A.L.S., 1p. oblong 8vo., Skipwith's Landing, MS, Dec. 10, 1863, to a John M. Hartnett, acting assistant engineer in the U.S. Mississippi Squadron. In full: ‘It affords me much pleasure to testify to your good conduct & attention to duty during the 10 months you have been under my command.' Wilson signs at the conclusion in black ink, adding his contemporary rank ‘Lt. Comdr.' Shows two small chips to the left edge, with a mounting strip on the verso at the top edge, otherwise in fine condition. The Mound City was a City-class ironclad gunboat, sometimes referred to as ‘Pook Turtles' or ‘Eads gunboats', after their designer James Eads, built at Carondelet, Missouri in 1861. She had a very active war: she participated in the captures of Island No. 10 and Fort Pillow, and was rammed during the latter by the CSS EARL VAN DORN and forced to ground to avoid sinking. At the Battle of St. Charles on Arkansas' White River, fire from Confederate batteries pierced her boiler, filing the vessel with steam which killed or wounded most of the crew, including her commander. Byron Wilson was named her new commander in 1863, and she went on to participate in the Battle of Grand Gulf, and the disastrous Steele's Bayou Expedition and Red River Campaign.

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

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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