Correspondence, 1863, 1863

This collection contains 117 letters written mainly by John Horry Dent, Jr. (signed J. Horry Dent) of Barbour County, Alabama, between 15 March 1861 to 1 July 1864 while he served in the Confederate Navy to his father, John Horry Dent, in Eufaula, Alabama. One letter was written to his brother, Herbert Dent, and one to his mother. There are also two letters written by his fellow officers (S. P. Blane, midshipman, C.S.N. and C.W. Read, C.S.N.) to John Horry Dent detailing information of his son's part aboard the C.S.S. McRae during the battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip and his subsequent capture and internment at Fort Warren in May 1862, and one letter in 1864 from a cousin, George C. Dent. There is also a small sketch of a bull ram boat, drawn in 1861.

Dent Jr.’s letters provide information about the various ships on which he served, including some of the dimensions of the ship as well as the number of masts, smokestacks, and the types of engines. He also discusses friends and family members as well as, in 1863 and 1864, his dissatisfaction with the state of the Confederate Navy. The letters also show that, on occasion, he was able to purchase items for his family in Alabama, such as shoes, yards of fabrics, and hats. Each of his letters ends with “Give my love to all the family” and is signed “Yrs truly, J. Horry Dent.”