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Louis James M. Boyd
This selection is from a collection of letters written by Louis
James M. Boyd to his wife, "Jannie," from April 23, 1862 to August
1871. The couple met in Cedar Key, Florida and later moved to
Baltimore, Maryland. Boyd served as a 3rd Assistant Engineer
aboard the U.S. Gunboat "Albatross" during the Civil War. This letter
describes the destruction of the rebel salt pans along the Florida
coast. |
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Editor’s note: In cases where LJM Boyd’s spelling
deviates from standard spelling, his original spelling has been left
in place with the standard spelling in parenthesis. |
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U.S. Steamer Albatross St. Andrews Bay
November 29th 1862
My Dear Beloved Wife
It has bean (been) now two months and a
half, since I have received a word from you – I must truly say,
that I have not had anything in my life, to worry me as much as
that has, during the time I have been waiting I cannot find words
to Express my feelings, I never thought that I Should be Separated
from you, that long without either Seeing or hearing, from you my
Dearest Jannie, I always had the name when I was at home of being
very impation (impatient), but Since I have bean (been) in the Navy
I have learnt to be very pation (patient) and to wait the course
of everything but this affair has nearly worn them out, I think
if you were placed in my Situation you would Say the Same that I
do, I can do nothing but hope and pray that you are all well and
wait the comming (coming) of a letter from
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you, Dear Jannie thinking you would like to know what we have bean
(been) doing for the last two weeks I will now give you a detail of
our proceedings, Well we left Pensacola on the 14th of this
month, for this place, we arrived here on the 16th the object of this
Expedition was to destroy Salt-Pans, which the Rebels have to make
Salt in, Since we have bean (been) laying here we have fit out Some
four or five Small Boat Expeditions, which has proven very successful,
we have destroyed more Salt Pans than all the other Expeditions put
together the Salt Pans that I Speak of are generally Situated in Small
Creeks and Swamps, we cannot get to them in the Steamer, therefor
we have to go in Small Boats, the Manner in which those Expeditions
are arranged are that we would leave the Ship about four O’clock in
the Morning, and proceed up the Bay until we would discover Smoke,
for that is the only way that those pans can be found by a Stranger
as soon as we could get near enough we would the then fire at them |
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with a Small Cannon we have and such Skidaddeling you never seen
in your life, they would leave everything behind them, we went in
Several of their Camps and found there (their) Breakfast cooked and
on the Table ready for eating which our Boys would soon demolish,
after rowing So early in the Morning, we would then set about
breaking up their pans and works we have taken a great many prisoners,
who were all ancious (anxious) to take the oath of Allegiance, that
they might get rid of the Southern Army, they all tell one tail (tale),
they say that the Rebels cant hold out much longer if they are not
recognised (recognized), we have on board Two Refugees and a Prisoner
the Prisoner I judge we Shall let go in a few days, it is enough to
make any person’s heart ache, to see what this Poor People has to
suffer, Scarcely anything to eat or wear and they look Miserable,
we have destroyed in the Neighborhood of Four hundred Pans in all,
which will be a great pull back to them, as they cannot git (get)
Iron for no price, those Pans are worth from one to three Hundred
Dollars a peace (apiece), we have also destroyed |
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a number of Camp Waggons (Wagons) and a great Deal of Salt, which
is only worth $30.00 a Bushel down here, that was when they had their
pans to make it in, but now we have destroyed them all, they say it
will be up as high as fifty Dollars, I do pitty (pity) the Poor People
down here, you can tell Ma, that one of the Prisoners that we have
taken is very well acquanted (acquainted) with Johns Thomas Segar;
Cousin Josephine’s Brother had saw him not a great while ago, he was
very well at that time, we expect to leave here within a few, days
for Pensacola, which place I expect to find some letters for me, I
feel very ancious (anxious) that we should go off soon, Dearest Jannie,
we have one of the best of Capts he is the finest of men, and appears
as one of us, you would scarcely know that he was Capt. if you would
see him on board, he is very much beliked by the Officers and men,
we have bean (been) blessed since we left Boston with good Captains,
it is time that we should be, for we had enough to contend with when
we had old Capt P (indecipherable) on board our Chief Engineer is
a very fine man. I like him very much, and also our New Asst
Engineer, we have now in all four Engineers, - Monday December 8th
My Darling Wiffie – we left St Andrews yesterday, for Pensacola, well
on our way down the coast we came across a great many salt pans which
we had a fine time destroying them, it would make your heart ache
to see the
turn to page 5 |
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poor people that were on the Beach at the time that we were Breaking
the pans, after we had finished breaking the Pans, we came to anchor
where we will lay until Tomorrow and then we will start for
Pensacola which place I am very ancious (anxious) to see; that I may
get some letters, for I have not heard from you for three Months within
3 or 4 days, so you may judge how ancious (anxious) I am to here from
you The latest date of your letters was Oct 26th so you see that it
has bean (been) now nearly two months since heard from you we all
expecting a mail on board tonight which is due here, Tell Jerry I
am going to write to him and I want him to answer it My dear Jannie
write soon and often direct as I stated in Care Naval (indecipherable)
From your loving
Husband
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| NEW AND
NOTEWORTHY
ON FLORIDA MEMORY |
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| Bedell Collection 126 prints of Deaconess Harriet Bedell working among the Seminole Indians in South Florida from 1933 to 1960. |
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Pets with a Florida Flair From dogs and cats, to fawns, monkeys and macaws, Floridians have shared their lives with their animal friends. |
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Postcard Collection Over 6,300 picture postcards of Florida attractions, cities, and people, circa 1900s-1970s. |
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