Civil War-dated ALS from a Union sailor harbored in the Guadeloupe commune of Pointe-a-Pitre, four pages, 7.75 x 10, December 23, 1862. Handwritten letter to his father detailing the USN’s frustrating hunt for the CSS Alabama, in part: “We are still on our fruitless chase after the 290. Twice since I wrote you last have we been a dozen or fifteen miles of her, and twice more she has escaped us a very easy job, for we haven't troubled but one vessel, and that was this morning as we came in here…From [St. Thomas] we came to the eastward, stopping for an hour at Antigua and Barbuda and then to this port where we remained three or four days. Off Antigua we were signaled by what looked like one of our gunboats, but a few days after at Dominica we learned that Semmes had reported signaling us off Antigua bound to Southward – but as long as we don't ever overhaul vessels as long as they show colors of some sort, and he was rigged like a gunboat, we were in a blissful state of ignorance in regard to the proximity of our enemy.” In fine condition.
