Details:

Confederate War Department, Engineer Bureau manuscript copy letter dated June 25, 1863, prominently featuring an endorsement by General P. G. T. Beauregard concerning the funding and completion of the Confederate Torpedo Ram under construction at Charleston, South Carolina. Measuring approximately 8 x 13 inches, the document is addressed from Richmond to Lieutenant Colonel D. B. Harris, Chief Engineer of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida, and provides a firsthand record of Beauregard’s efforts to secure financing for one of the Confederacy’s most ambitious naval defense projects.

The correspondence references a letter from Captain F. D. Lee stating that approximately $40,000 was required to complete the Charleston Torpedo Ram. Lee’s request had been forwarded to the Engineer Bureau with Beauregard’s endorsement, declaring that the expenditure was “just and proper” and recommending that the Engineer Department provide the necessary funds to finish the vessel.

The matter was subsequently presented to Confederate Secretary of War James A. Seddon, whose decision is quoted within the letter. Seddon declined the request, explaining that the Engineer Fund could not properly be charged with the expense because Congress had made no specific appropriation for the project. He further observed that the many extraordinary wartime demands placed upon the Engineer Fund required that its appropriations be carefully conserved and strictly applied.

The reverse bears an additional endorsement by General Beauregard, respectfully forwarding the matter while noting that unless South Carolina could provide additional funding to complete the torpedo ram, he would recommend selling the unfinished vessel to parties willing to purchase and complete it. The endorsement underscores both Beauregard’s commitment to strengthening Charleston’s defenses and the financial hardships that frequently hampered Confederate military projects.

The Charleston Torpedo Ram was among several innovative Confederate naval weapons designed to challenge the Union blockade. Combining ironclad construction with a reinforced ram bow and intended for the use of spar torpedoes, these experimental vessels reflected the Confederacy’s efforts to compensate for its industrial disadvantages through technological innovation. This document offers a rare glimpse into the administrative and financial obstacles surrounding one of these ambitious wartime projects.

Overall good condition with expected horizontal folds, light toning, and minor edge wear consistent with age and handling. A significant Confederate military document combining naval history, wartime administration, and an endorsement by one of the Confederacy’s foremost generals.

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard (1818-1893) was a Confederate general who commanded the bombardment of Fort Sumter, initiating the American Civil War. A graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point and a trained military engineer, he later commanded Confederate forces at the First Battle of Bull Run and directed the successful defense of Charleston, South Carolina, against repeated Union land and naval attacks. After the war, Beauregard worked as a civil engineer and railroad executive in Louisiana while remaining one of the Confederacy’s most prominent former military leaders until his death in 1893.

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Reference sku: 11669 1416978-1