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Sale 30
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Lot 1184
(Confederate) Hardee, William Joseph (1815-1873) CSA general. Letter Signed as Lieutenant General, Head Quarters, Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, Charleston, S.C., January 24, 1865, 1½ pp (1 sheet), quarto. To. Brig. Gen. Saxton, Comdg U.S. Forces, Beaufort, S.C. In part: "I have determined to authorise the sale of cotton within the limits of my department to any agent, or agents, who may be empowered to act under your authority, or that of the Federal fort, at such prices as may be hereafter agreed upon by the contracting parties. Having received a communication from Mr. C.E. Fuller…in which reference to you is made….Mr. Theodore D. Wagner is authorised to effect the sale of cotton in this Department, and I desire him to meet Mr. Fuller…on Saturday, the 28th ins. or earlier if practicable, at some point on the South side of the Saltkehatchie River for the purpose named….W.J. Hardee / Lieut General." Scattered foxing. Lower half of verso has printed information; since paper was in short supply, it was not unusual to reuse it. General Saxton, to whom Hardee wrote, was primarily engaged in the enlistment and organization of Negroes--most of them ex-slaves--into the Federal Army. Hardee's signature is desirable, and in the context of this letter, even more so.
Hardee was one of the finest corps commanders of the Confederacy. In October 1864, he was placed in command of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida. Hardee attempted to stop Sherman's March to the Sea, but was powerless before the overwhelming number of Federal troops. On December 17, 1864, Sherman ordered Hardee to surrender, but Hardee successfully evacuated Savannah on December 20th with 15,000 men and went to Charleston. Sherman started north from Savannah on January 15th, and successfully kept the Confederates guessing whether his objective was Charleston or Columbia. This letter, offering to sell cotton, was written during this time. We know that Hardee evacuated Charleston on February 17th to join Johnston's forces in North Carolina, and that Hardee's rear guard, under Wade Hampton, set fire to some 6,000 bales of cotton in the streets of Charleston, contributing to a conflagration that ruined much of the city.
Estimated Value $800 - 1,200.
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