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"Sail Ho!": A Civil War Surgeon and the Texas Blockade

"Sail Ho!": A Civil War Surgeon and the Texas Blockade Assistant Surgeon Heber Smith, New Orleans, 1862. Courtesy Shar yl Heber. “Sail Ho!”: A Civil War Surgeon and the Texas Blockade By Walter E. Wilson* n June 14, 1863, the U.S. Navy gunboat Itasca was on blockade duty off the Texas coast. That morning, the ship’s doc- Otor sat down to write a letter home. His name was Heber Smith, a twenty-three-year-old assistant surgeon. Until its recent discover y by the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas, Heber’s letter had been in private hands since the day it was written. Civil War letters related to the Texas blockade are rare and exciting finds, particularly one with several days of richly detailed content. Heber Smith’s letter launches the reader on a roller-coaster ride of wartime emotions ranging from despair, frustration, and exhaustion to exhilaration and hope. He also describes the excitement of chasing and capturing blockade runners. The perceptive doctor addresses many of the broader themes of the American Civil War as seen from the sometimes bloody deck plates of a U.S. Navy warship. Heber’s letter offers fresh in- sight into the personal impact of ineffective military strategies, corrup- tion, death, and infectious diseases that remain relevant in http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Southwestern Historical Quarterly Texas State Historical Association

"Sail Ho!": A Civil War Surgeon and the Texas Blockade

Wilson, Walter E.
Southwestern Historical Quarterly , Volume 124 (4) – Mar 31, 2021
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Publisher
Texas State Historical Association
Copyright
Copyright © The Texas State Historical Association.
ISSN
1558-9560

Abstract

Assistant Surgeon Heber Smith, New Orleans, 1862. Courtesy Shar yl Heber. “Sail Ho!”: A Civil War Surgeon and the Texas Blockade By Walter E. Wilson* n June 14, 1863, the U.S. Navy gunboat Itasca was on blockade duty off the Texas coast. That morning, the ship’s doc- Otor sat down to write a letter home. His name was Heber Smith, a twenty-three-year-old assistant surgeon. Until its recent discover y by the Museum of South Texas History in Edinburg, Texas, Heber’s letter had been in private hands since the day it was written. Civil War letters related to the Texas blockade are rare and exciting finds, particularly one with several days of richly detailed content. Heber Smith’s letter launches the reader on a roller-coaster ride of wartime emotions ranging from despair, frustration, and exhaustion to exhilaration and hope. He also describes the excitement of chasing and capturing blockade runners. The perceptive doctor addresses many of the broader themes of the American Civil War as seen from the sometimes bloody deck plates of a U.S. Navy warship. Heber’s letter offers fresh in- sight into the personal impact of ineffective military strategies, corrup- tion, death, and infectious diseases that remain relevant in

Journal

Southwestern Historical Quarterly – Texas State Historical Association

Published: Mar 31, 2021

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