Envelope or Cover
1818 · Charleston, South Carolina
by Jno'en Fagan to "Mr. Robert Leckie
Charleston, South Carolina, 1818. Envelope or Cover. Very good. This two-page folded letter measures about 15¾" x 10" unfolded. It is datelined Charleston April 8th, 1817, and was sent by Jnoen Fagan to "Mr. Robert Leckie / U. S. Ordnance Service / Augusta, Geo." It bears a red circular postmark reading "CHALSN SC / APR / 11" and an 18½ rate mark which was the postage cost to send a letter from 150 to 400 miles. In nice shape.
At the time, Leckie had just finished building two military arsenals, one at Richmond, Virginia, and the other at Augusta, Georgia. His next project was to build a canal system from the port at Charleston through the Fall Line that would allow inland settlements to ship goods by water to the ports which was far preferable than by inadequate and often impassible roads. Irish masons from the north under Leckie's direction worked on this Landsford Canal until its completion in 1823. Traffic was never high, and its use was discontinued by 1840. In this letter Fagan, the apparent leader of an advance party of masons, notifies Leckie that he had arrived in Charleston after a perilous sea voyage.
"We arrived here yesterday afternoon about 5 OClock, enduring for 10 days the extremes of bad winds & a leaky vessell. We formed a regular relief of 2 men at a time for 2 hours at the pumps. . .. The Owner of the Vessell . . . thinks human life nothing in comparison with their own profit - he had the Vessell highly insured, & I believe was sorry to see us arrive, we literally pumped our voyage here. (Inventory #: 010262)
At the time, Leckie had just finished building two military arsenals, one at Richmond, Virginia, and the other at Augusta, Georgia. His next project was to build a canal system from the port at Charleston through the Fall Line that would allow inland settlements to ship goods by water to the ports which was far preferable than by inadequate and often impassible roads. Irish masons from the north under Leckie's direction worked on this Landsford Canal until its completion in 1823. Traffic was never high, and its use was discontinued by 1840. In this letter Fagan, the apparent leader of an advance party of masons, notifies Leckie that he had arrived in Charleston after a perilous sea voyage.
"We arrived here yesterday afternoon about 5 OClock, enduring for 10 days the extremes of bad winds & a leaky vessell. We formed a regular relief of 2 men at a time for 2 hours at the pumps. . .. The Owner of the Vessell . . . thinks human life nothing in comparison with their own profit - he had the Vessell highly insured, & I believe was sorry to see us arrive, we literally pumped our voyage here. (Inventory #: 010262)
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