A fascinating 1pp. letter, written on July 4, 1863 by A.P. Aldrich of Barnwell Court House, South Carolina. In the letter, Aldrich inquires of a friend as to the best method to get payment from the Confederate government for use of his slaves, who were “left while engaged in work in the fortifications around Charleston.” Aldrich, a judge, lived in a stately home called “The Oaks” that was maintained by slave labor. During Sherman’s March to the Sea, Union soldiers burned his outbuildings and law library, but were thwarted from burning the home itself thanks to the tenaciousness of Mrs. Aldrich and her children. After the War, Aldrich was removed from the bench by Federal authorities for refusing to acknowledge the illegality of slavery. It is unclear whether he ever received payment for the Confederate Army’s use of his slaves in 1863.


[African-American History, Slave, Slavery, Abolition, Abolitionist, Emancipation Proclamation, Abraham Lincoln, Civil War, Union, Confederate, Document, Letter]