Folded letter by US Navy Surgeon David Shelton Edwards
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As a result, the Pensacola, Florida, postmaster struck the PAID handstamp. The \"25\" in the upper corner shows the payment amount of 25 cents, the correct rate for a single sheet letter going more than 400 miles to its destination. The word written on the reverse appears to be \"const\" and was probably placed there by the letter\u00e2\u0080\u0099s recipient and does not involve the item\u00e2\u0080\u0099s postal history."}, {"label": "Description", "content": "David Shelton Edwards responds to a group of his wife Harriet's letters as, \"A little spicy, but on the whole in the true spirit of love.\" He explains that she should not be offended when he constantly chides her in his letters and that, \"I have the very best opinion of my wife's prudence and management - whatever my letters may imply to the contrary.\" In his own sphere, he relates that Dr. Parsons resigned his position under the threat of charges, \"for various ungentlemanly & unofficerlike acts - such as cheating at Cards - Dishonesty &c. &c.\". Regarding current events, he thinks Van Buren will win in the end and Alabama wishes to annex the Florida panhandle because cities like Pensacola are growing so rapidly; Edwards seems to be of the opinion that the railroad connections annexation would greatly benefit business there."}, {"label": "Description", "content": "From the mid nineteenth century to the early twentieth century there were several attempts by the state government of Alabama to annex the area of West Florida into its possession. This was for a number of reasons, including the economic strength of the city of Pensacola and the ensuing increased control over the trade routes through the Gulf of Mexico. Many in Pensacola supported this plan: the Pensacola Commercial reported in 1869 that, \"Since overtures are made by Alabama of such an importance as to make ours the Queen City of the Gulf, let no man throw an obstacle in the way, but put his shoulders to the wheel, and ere long we will be, where nature intended us, in the State of Alabama.\""}, {"label": "Description", "content": "This letter is part of the correspondence of David Shelton Edwards between the years 1835 and 1848. The 48 letters from this period held by the National Postal Museum are primarily addressed to Edward's wife Harriet; in 1830, Edwards married Harriet Eliza Henry and they had two children, William and Harriet. They kept up a frequent correspondence when his naval service kept them separated. Between 1835 and 1848, Edwards served as a Surgeon at the hospital in the Pensacola Navy Yard, Florida; Fleet Surgeon to the West Indies Squadron; and Surgeon aboard many vessels engaged in the Mexican-American War. His naval career spanned from 1818 to 1861 and his last sea cruise ended in October of 1859 after which he retired to his family home in Connecticut except for a brief time spent at New Bedford, Massachusetts recruiting for the Union Navy during the Civil War. He died in Trumbull, Connecticut on March 18, 1874."}, {"label": "Description", "content": "Reference:"}, {"label": "Description", "content": "\"The West Florida-Alabama Annexation Scheme.\" New York Times. May 23, 1869."}], "name": [{"label": "Writer", "content": "David Shelton Edwards, American, died 1874"}], "topic": [{"label": "Topic", "content": "American Expansion (1800-1860)"}, {"label": "Topic", "content": "Covers & Letters"}], "place": [{"label": "Place of Origin", "content": "Florida"}, {"label": "Place of Destination", "content": "New York"}], "physicalDescription": [{"label": "Medium", "content": "paper; ink / handwritten"}, {"label": "Dimensions", "content": "39.4 x 31.8 cm (15 1/2 x 12 1/2 in.)"}], "dataSource": [{"label": "Data Source", "content": "National Postal Museum"}], "objectType": [{"label": "Type", "content": "Covers & Associated Letters"}]}}, "url": "edanmdm:npm_1978.0652.28", "hash": "3b9cee60103fd47b6b4b0ee7c404059146e3bfde", "docSignature": "3e9133292701247488351d90e6c7bb28", "timestamp": 1663786505, "lastTimeUpdated": 1657961588, "title": "Folded letter by US Navy Surgeon David Shelton Edwards"}