Charles Dwight Sigsbee Captain of the USS Maine Autograph Letter Signed

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Charles Dwight Sigsbee Captain of the USS Maine Autograph Letter Signed :
$350.00

The inclosed [sic] penny [not present] went down in the Maine in my bureau

SIGSBEE, CHARLESDWIGHT. (1845-1923). United States Navy rear admiral and hydrographer bestknown as the captain of the ill-fated the USSMaine. ADS. (“C.D. Sigsbee &C.D.S.”). 1p. 8vo. USS Texas,Navy Yard, New York, November 21, 1898.

In January 1898, theCuban War of Independence from Spain saw riots by Spanish loyalists, and theAmerican government sent the USS Mainefrom Key West, Florida to Havana Harbor to protect American interests. Threeweeks later, on the evening of February 15 an explosion destroyed the frontportion of the vessel, killing 266 crewmembers and sinking what was left of theship. Of the 89 survivors, 18 were officers whose quarters were in the rear ofthe ship. Spanish authorities aided in rescuing the survivors prompting Sigsbeeto wire his superiors: “Public opinion should be suspended until furtherreport.” The Navy immediately began conducting an investigation which lastedfour weeks and examined the submerged remains, referred to in our letter. Atthe end of March, the investigation announced its conclusion that a mine was toblame for the explosion absolving Sigsbee from any fault. Despite the officialinquiry finding no Spanish responsibility, the American press began publishingexaggerated accounts of Spain’s heavyhanded, often-violent actions against the Cuban rebels; the competingnewspapers of William Randolph Hearst and Joseph Pulitzer called forAmerican retaliation, employing the catchphrase “Remember the Maine.” By theend of April, diplomatic relations had been severed and the US and Spain foundthemselves at war, which played out over the course of ten weeks in twotheaters -- Pacific and, more famously, the Caribbean.

The Spanish-American War marked an important moment in Americanhistory, underscoring the United States’ new prominence in world affairs andhelping to heal the wounds of the Civil War by uniting its citizens behind anew sense of nationalism. The cause ofthe explosion that destroyed the Mainestill remains a matter of dispute despite numerous subsequent investigations.

After the Maine’s loss,Sigsbee commanded the St. Paul duringthe Second Battle of San Juan and, until 1900, the Texas, a sister ship to the Maine,which he commanded during the Battle of Santiago de Cuba andaboard which he penned our note.

Condition: Folded with a small tear affecting the last letter ofSigsbee’s signature. Mounting traces on the verso. Corners have been clipped.In good condition. Uncommon.

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