Letter

This three-page, undated letter, written by Senator John Tyler Morgan to Alabama governor Joseph F. Johnston, discusses the political appointment of Major Barnard Goldsmith West to the staff of General Wheeler. Morgan commends West for his service "in times of civil strife in Alabama," and describes the process of transferring Major West from the Alabama state troop division stationed in Birmingham to General Wheeler's staff.

Although little information is available about West, it is possible that he served on General Joseph Wheeler's staff during the Spanish-American War and that this letter references his appointment to the staff. In a report from Santiago on July 7, 1898, General Wheeler commended members of his staff, writing that "Major West, my quartermaster, deserves special commendation for his energy and good conduct during the campaign."

Source: W. C. Dodson, Campaigns of Wheeler and his Calvary (Atlanta: Hudgins Publishing Company, 1899), 23.