Gorgas, Josiah:

AUTOGRAPH LETTER, SIGNED J. GORGAS AS CAPTAIN OF ORDNANCE, 28 AUGUST 1858, TO MAJOR ALFRED MORDECAI CONCERNING "THE PARTS OF CARRIAGES REQUIRED FOR REPAIRS AT FORT MOULTRIE."

Old Point Comfort, VA: 1858. Folio leaf, folded to [4] pp. Each page 8" x 9-7/8." Ink manuscript, signed "J. Gorgas | Capt. Ord." at the bottom of the first page. Interior pages blank. Docketed on page 4. Very Good with a single fox spot in a blank portion, minor dusting.

Josiah Gorgas [1818-1883], one of a handful of Northern Generals who fought for the Confederacy, was the Confederate Chief of Ordnance. His Letter describes modifications in parts of barbette rail carriages destined for Fort Moultrie.
Gorgas's Letter is to Major Alfred Mordecai [1804-1887], the lone Jew in his West Point Class. "Some American Jews have left an indelible, if now nearly forgotten, mark on the nation's history. Alfred Mordecai was one such individual. He introduced scientific methods into the development of pre-Civil War American military munitions. The outbreak of the Civil War placed Mordecai, a native Southerner, in an untenable moral and emotional dilemma. In 1861, when the U. S. government was in dire need of his expertise, rather than take either side Mordecai retired from the Army and -- in effect -- dropped out of subsequent US military history" [Jewish Virtual Library on line]. Item #39205

Price: $500.00