Lot 321

Previous image preload Next image preload

Description:

"Virginia is under insurrectionary rule" Treasury Dept. on Schooner from Alexandria, Virginia 1861

This letter from Acting Secretary of the Treasury William L. Hodge to the collector in New Bedford, Massachusetts, directs the collector to release a schooner that had arrived there from Alexandria, Virginia. Collector Charles Almy was too zealously administering department regulations requiring the seizure of ships and cargo from ports in those areas in rebellion against the United States. Hodge reassured Almy that the port of Alexandria, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C., was under the charge of a loyal collector.

The 102-foot schooner Mary C. Terbell was built at Milton, Delaware, in 1850. It had been enrolled in September 1860 at LaSalle, Texas, but was enrolled on July 11, 1861, in Newport, Rhode Island. William Thomas was the master, and he and two others of North Kingstown, Rhode Island, each owned one-quarter interest in the ship, and merchants W. P. Baughn and A. J. Walker of Lavaca, Texas, also together owned one quarter.

[TREASURY DEPARTMENT.] William L. Hodge, Autograph Letter Signed, Charles Almy, September 27, 1861. 1 p., 8" x 10". Includes handwritten note in margin, "Received Oct. 1 1861." Pinholes in left margin for binding; very good.

Excerpt
"I have received your letter, of the 23rd inst., but without signature, asking instructions in relation to the seizure of vessels from Alexandria, Va.
"My instructions in Circular of the 3rd inst. have no reference to vessels from ports under control of the Government. A portion of the State of Virginia is under insurrectionary rule but the port of Alexandria is in charge of a loyal Collector whose official acts are to be respected accordingly.
"You will therefore release the Schooner 'Mary C. Terbell.' Your letter is returned for signature."

William L. Hodge (1790-1868) was born in Philadelphia. He moved to New Orleans, where he was engaged in commerce and became the editor and proprietor of the New Orleans Commercial Bulletin. He joined the Treasury Department in 1850 as an assistant secretary. At several different times in the 1850s and 1860s, he served as acting Secretary of the Treasury in the absence of the Secretary.

Charles Almy (1819-1886) was born in Rhode Island and began teaching school at age 17. He later opened a country store but soon moved to Boston, where he became an auction and commission merchant. He participated in the business of whaling in New Bedford, Massachusetts, until the Civil War. He served as Collector of Customs at Fall River, Massachusetts, from 1861 to 1865. He joined the insurance business in 1864 and continued in that work until his death. Originally a Democrat, he became a Free Soiler in 1848 and then a Republican. In 1880, 1881, and 1882, he was the Prohibition Party candidate for governor.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Unless otherwise indicated, we do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice. If any changes to the shipping address need to be made, you must inform us immediately.***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.

After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 10 business days following receipt of full payment for item.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Wilton, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

June 22, 2022 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000