"Dear friend, after an absence of nearly 20 years…"

Group relating to Mexican War and Civil War veteran Capt. Ridley R. West. This group includes a photograph of a veteran’s parade in Tennessee, a printed card entitling the holder to a discounted rate on railroads/hotels, and an 1867 letter written to a fellow Mexican War veteran updating him on the author’s life since they fought together. The letter’s content is exceptional. West was in the dry goods industry with a partner in Red Boiling Springs when the Civil War began, and despite some early financial success paused his business to become an officer in the 28th Tennessee Infantry. West was wounded in the shoulder at the battle of Shiloh and spent the next several years in and out of the service as he slowly recovered. He returned to the Confederate army in 1863 and was present at most of the major battles of the western theater. His business partner was also killed during the war at the battle of Peach Tree Creek, which he explains put him in a precarious financial position once he returned to civilian life.

Interestingly, West relays his ongoing struggle throughout the War years as to whether or not to continue as a solider or tend to his business. Now several years past the close of hostilities, West explains that he is finally, slowly, getting back on his feet. This is a genuinely wonderful insight into the mindset of a Mexican and Civil War veteran, fresh from defeat and trying his best to re-adapt to peacetime.


[Mexican-American War, Mexican War, Militaria, Veterans, Ephemera, Late Indian Wars, Texas, Alamo, Sam Houston, Davy Cockett] [Daguerreotype, Ambrotype, Tintype, CDV, Albumen, carte-de-visite, Salt print, Cabinet Card]