Confederate General (1821–1889) and brother-in-law of Thomas ‘Stonewall’ Jackson. War-dated ALS signed “D. H. Hill,” two lightly-lined pale blue pages, 4.5 x 7, November 6, 1861. Letter to North Carolina Governor Henry T. Clark. In full: “Your very kind letter is most gratefully accepted. I regret that I cannot go to Raleigh before the 17th or 18th. I am about to start to Roanoke Island, the most important & the weakest point in N. C. Unless one or more Regiments can be sent there, the whole Albermarle region will be at the mercy of the enemy. Genl Huger will withdraw the Georgia Regiment and then the island must be lost.” In fine condition, with thin tape strip along reverse of second page along hinge.
In response to Governor Clark’s pressing concern regarding the lengthy coastline, Hill would be appointed to guard one of the two districts of the coast. However, the rebel general would only serve his post for two months before being reassigned to the North Carolina Brigade in Joseph Johnston’s Army of the Potomac (later Army of Northern Virginia). His fears would prove eerily prophetic, “Unless one or more Regiments can be sent there, the whole Albermarle region will be at the mercy of the enemy,” and the Battle of Roanoke Island fell to Ambrose Burnside’s force on February 8, 1862. These early conquests hurt the Confederate economy and provided future bases for the Union blockade fleet. RRAuction COA.
