2025-01 Raynors Historical Collectible Auctions
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 1/25/2025
John Taylor Wood (1830-1904) was an officer in the United States Navy and the Confederate Navy. He resigned from the U.S. Navy at the beginning of the American Civil War, and became a "leading Confederate naval hero" as a captain in the Confederate Navy. He was a lieutenant serving aboard CSS Virginia when it engaged USS Monitor in 1862, one of the most famous naval battles in Civil War and U.S. Naval history. In August 1864, Wood commanded CSS Tallahassee, a Confederate commerce raider and blockade runner against U.S. shipping off the Atlantic coast, capturing an astonishing 33 Union ships during a ten-day period off the coast of New England. He received the rank of captain in February 1865. A few months later, as the Confederacy was disintegrating, he accompanied President Davis in his attempt to evade capture and leave the country. He was caught in 1865 in Georgia with Confederate President Jefferson Davis's party, but escaped and made his way to Cuba. Confederate Officer’s 4pp letter, written and signed by John Taylor Wood. Datelined C.S. Steamer Tallahassee, Near Mouth Cape Fear River, August 3/64, in large part “My Own Precious Wife, With the assistance of a kind Providence, we will try & get out tonight. Everything looks suspicious now. The weather is all we could desire. The officers & men are anxious for the start; the ship answers all my expectations, & I will try & do something for the cabin, small though it be. I have been drilling & exercising the Crew nearly all the morning. They do pretty well considering they are green. ... I will not close this until we are once onboard. 5 P.M. My own wife, how I do love you. Mr. Jones has just come on board with your sweet letter of the 29th. It tells me that you are well, the children well & all at home well. This is good news indeed & I trust I am sufficiently thankful for it. Finishing your letter I went to my room & prayed. How little I deserve so much. ...Everything is ready for our going out tonight, & I hope by this time tomorrow to be well outside. I have arranged with Norris to inform him by cypher through the herald, and he will tell you. Darling, you must go out. Do not keep yourself up in the house. It will make you sick. I am glad tho all will arrive safely & that Catherine is doing her duty. Tell Jack, Pa is very proud of him & he must continue to be a good boy & pray for me. I will take good care of myself & hurry back to my best of wives. ... “
Click on a thumbnail above to display a larger image below
Hold down the mouse button and slide side to side to see more thumbnails(if available).
Click above for larger image.