Autograph letter signed by Commander Kidder Randolph Breese. U.S.S. Black Hawk, Alexandria, Louisiana, 10 April 1864. 3 pages, 4to, on Mississippi Squadron, U.S. Ship Black Hawk letterhead. 

An interesting letter written from the Union naval perspective during the disastrous Red River Campaign. 

Commander Kidder Randolph Breese (1831-1881) was a career navy man, joining the US sloop-of-war Saratoga as a midshipman during the Mexican-American War when he was just 15 years old. He participated in Perry's Expedition to Japan, aboard the San Jacinto during the Trent Affair, and served with Rear Admiral David Porter on the Mississippi River and the Atlantic Coast during the Civil War. 

He wrote this letter from Alexandria, Louisiana, during the Red River Campaign. Much of the operations relied on the annual flooding of the Red River, which failed to occur in 1864. The low river made it impossible for the Union's heavy gunboats to ford the rapids and support the ground troops. 

Commander Breese writes to a fellow officer about the state of the river: "River falling slowly the Mississippi has fallen eight feet but is now rising again which I hope will check the fall in this."

He also includes updates on General Grover's troops and a report on the Battle of Pleasant Hill: "Genl. Grover has received instructions tonight to take his whole force to Loggy Bayou leaving here only enough Force for Police...Phelps gave me the news of the defeat of the Army. Genl. Stones...The Enemy attacked us at Pleasant Hill and were signally repulsed with loss of many killed and prisoners. This is all he knows about it."

A rare naval letter from the Red River Expedition with excellent details. 

[Civil War, Union, Confederate] [Manuscripts, Documents, Letters, Ephemera, Signatures, Autographs] [Navy, Naval History, Brown Water Navy, David Glasgow Farragut, David Dixon Porter, Battle of Mobile Bay, Battle of New Orleans, Blockade, Confederate Blockade]

Affixed paper to verso right margin with toning to other pages. Letter appears to have been formerly mounted and subsequently removed.