The Letter Book of Colonel Alexander Haskell
Brown, Provost Marshal of Charleston
Edited by Robert G.
Carroon
The Custom House, Charleston
This historically important document, edited and indexed by the great
great grandnephew of
Col. Alexander Haskell Brown, the Provost Marshal himself,
represents our first publication of South
Carolina history and our first of military history as well.
Under martial law during the War Between the
States, the Provost
Marshal (Charleston was under martial law for several months in 1862 following the fall
of New Orleans -- an event ascribed by some in the Confederacy to the fact that New
Orleans had NOT been under martial law) had very broad powers. The
history in these letters,
memoranda,
orders, lists and related documents that make up the Letter Book covered the range of
military and prisoner of war administration, as well as criminal
and civil justice in the most important seaport of the Confederacy. As
such, its importance is not limited to the boundaries of South Carolina, nor is
its scope limited to
Civil War history.
The Letter Book represents a fascinating
historical view of the
Confederacy in operation at a point in the war before their situation began to
appear dire. It provides a view of an army in operation, with all the
attendant issues that have arisen in military units forever and probably always
will. It also provides a picture of wartime Charleston from an unique
point of view. One sees patriotism combined with rivalry, and altruism
combined with greed.
There are some interesting lists
included in the compilation, including an inventory of cotton of various
types then in the City, arranged by owner, listing quantities, where stored,
and destination. Other historical and genealogical information -- perhaps unavailable elsewhere --
includes name, rank, and unit for Federal prisoners of war who
passed through (or died in) the hospitals set up in Charleston to care for
them, as well as the orders conveying them to the POW camp (referred to
euphemistically as
the "Camp of Instruction") where they were sent when well enough to be
transported.
Historic Union units mentioned include:
10th US Infantry, 100th Pennsylvania, 1st U. S. Artillery, 2nd U. S.
Cavalry, 28th Massachusetts, 3rd New Hampshire Regiment, 3rd Rhode Island
Regiment, 3rd U. S. Artillery, 46th New York Regiment, 4th Rhode Island
Regiment, 4th U. S. Artillery, 79th New York Regiment, 7th Connecticut
Regiment, 8th Maine Regiment, 8th Michigan Regiment, and the 97th
Pennsylvania Regiment.
Historic Confederate units mentioned
include: 11th Battalion, 15th Battalion SC Heavy Artillery, 15th
Regiment SC Infantry, 16th Regiment SC Infantry, 17th Regiment SC Infantry,
19th Regiment SC Infantry, 1st Dragoons, 1st Military District, 1st Regiment
Charleston Reserves, 1st Regiment Regulars, 1st Regiment SC Artillery, 1st
Regiment SC Heavy Artillery, 1st Regiment SC Regular Infantry, 1st Regiment
SC Volunteer Infantry, 1st Virginia Regiment, 20th Regiment Georgia
Infantry, 20th Regiment SC Volunteer Infantry, 21st Regiment SC Volunteer
Infantry, 22nd Regiment Alabama Infantry, 22nd Regiment SC Infantry, 23rd
Regiment SC Infantry, 24th Regiment SC Infantry, 25th Regiment SC Volunteer
Infantry, 2nd Dragoons, 2nd Military District, 2nd Regiment SC Cavalry, 3rd
Batallion Light Artillery, 3rd Battalion SC Cavalry, 3rd Regiment SC
Artillery, 46th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, 4th Brigade SC Militia,
4th Louisiana Battalion, 51st Georgia Regiment, 5th Regiment SC Volunteer
Cavalry, 5th SC Regiment, 6th Regiment Georgia Volunteer Infantry, 6th
Regiment SC Volunteer Infantry, as well as a number of units referred
to by the name of the Commanding Officer, and as many Naval vessels as one
would expect in the most important seaport of the Confederacy.
We are happy to provide an index of this
historically important document. View the index of
Provost Marshal of Charleston, SC.
You
may want to check the credentials of Robert Carroon, who edited the document and
provided the scholarship behind it.
Click here to read a biographical sketch of the editor.
This download, which includes the text of the
historic Letter Book, introductory material and notes by the Editor, a new index, is now available for purchase.
The download,
consisting of 453 pages in PDF format, is priced at $8.75
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