1865: David Dixon Porter to Thomas Francis Meagher

The following letter appears to have been dictated by, and signed by, Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter in answer to a letter received from Brig. Gen. Thomas Francis Meagher (1823-1867)—the famed former commander of the Irish Brigade. By this time of the war, Meagher was in command of the Provisional Division of the Army of the Tennessee and had recently joined forces with Sherman’s army in North Carolina.

The letter was datelined from the US Flagship Malvern anchored in the Cape Fear River following the Battle of Wilmington (Feb. 11-22, 1865) in which Rear Admiral Porter and Maj. Gen. Alfred Terry coordinated their naval and land forces to capture Fort Fisher.

Though I am not a handwriting expert, it is my impression that Porter’s signature appears genuine though the remainder of the letter seems to have been written with different ink and in a different hand.

The USS Malvern was an iron side-wheel gunboat and saw service as the flagship of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. She was present at the capture of Fort Fisher in 1865. Following the fall of Richmond in early April 1865, she transported Pres. Lincoln up the James river to visit the city.

Transcription

*Map on the opposite side of the letter.*

North Atlantic Squadron
U.S. Flagship “Malvern“
Cape Fear River
February 22nd 1865

Thomas Francis Meagher
Brig. Gen. USA
Commanding Prov. Div. Army of the Tenn.

General, your note of the 9th inst. has just been received. It would have given me great pleasure to have obliged you but the “Britannia” in which your young friend is serving is no longer under my command. I have ever made it a rule to examine officers when recommended and I should have taken great pleasure in doing this for the young man at any time should his commanding officer have desired it.

Most respectfully yours,
— David D. Porter, Rear Admiral, Commanding North Atlantic Squadron