Contributed by Maine Historical Society
Description
Kiah B. Sewall, a native of Edgecomb, wrote to Secretary of State William H. Seward asking permission to go to the front near Mobile in February 1865.
Sewall (1807-1865) had been living in Mobile since 1839. He fled the city in August 1864 rather than be coerced into joining a Confederate regiment. Most of his family remained in Mobile.
The letter is apparently a draft of the one he sent Seward. While he signed his real name, he wrote at the bottom that he was traveling as "M. S. Bayley." Sewall was concerned that soldiers in Mobile would find him.
Sewall also sought introductions to generals and the commander of the fleet in Mobile Bay, suggesting he could be of use to them and the government because of his knowledge of the area.
Transcription
About This Item
- Title: K.B. Sewall request to go to Mobile, 1865
- Creator: Kiah Bayley Sewal
- Creation Date: 1865-02-28
- Subject Date: 1865
- Location: Mobile, AL
- Media: Ink on paper
- Dimensions: 20 cm x 12.5 cm
- Local Code: Coll. 105, Box 2/1
- Collection: Sewall family papers
- Object Type: Text
Cross Reference Searches
Standardized Subject Headings
- Confederate States of America. Army.--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.
- Escapes
- Recruiting and enlistment
- Sewall family
- Sewall, Kiah Bayley, 1807-1865--Travel
- United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865
People
For more information about this item, contact:
Maine Historical Society485 Congress Street, Portland, ME 04101
(207) 774-1822 x230
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