Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials. Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open to research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], Arthur G. Sinclair Letters, Ms1992-034, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The Arthur Sinclair Letters were purchased by Special Collections and University Libraries in 1992.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the Arthur Sinclair Letters commenced and was completed in October, 2023.

Biographical / Historical

Arthur Sinclair was born in Norfolk, Virginia, November 29, 1819. According to his obituary, Sinclair entered the U. S. Navy as a midshipman at age 12. By 1861, Sinclair had reached the rank of commander; upon the outbreak of the Civil War, he resigned from the U. S. Navy and was appointed a commander in the Confederate States Navy later that year. The Register of Officers of the Confederate States Navy, 1861-1865 provides a brief synopsis of Sinclair's Confederate naval service: "Commanding Fort Norfolk, Elizabeth River, 1861. Commanding C. S. S. Winslow in Battle of Hatteras Inlet, August 28-29, 1861. Gosport Navy Yard, 1861-62. Charlotte, N. C., 1862. Richmond station, 1862. Ordered to New Orleans, March, 1862, to superintend construction of C. S. S. Mississippi , and take command when finished. Assistant, Bureau of Orders and Detail, 1862-63. Commanding C. S. S. Atlanta , February 18-May 2, 1863. Special service, Richmond station, 1863-64." Arthur Sinclair died in the foundering of a blockade runner, the Leila in Liverpool Bay, on January 14, 1865.

Scope and Contents

This collection contains two letters questionably attributed to Arthur Sinclair, a commander in the Confederate States Navy during the American Civil War. The two letters, both written at Richmond, Virginia, to a friend, focus largely on the writer's views of marriage and women, in anticipation of his own forthcoming wedding. In the first letter, written March 7, 1864, the correspondent also discusses his boats, "or as they are termed here my iron clads. I tell you they have seen a pretty rough time. This has been a very destructive campaign with them ... Applications come in occationally [sic] for the use of them[;] a young man expects to run the blockade soon, [and] says I must let him have them." In the second letter, dated February 24, 1864, the writer mentions a recent raid on Richmond by Union forces.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

• Civil War
• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the Arthur G. Sinclair Letters by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).