UNDERGROUND LETTER headed Nov 15th 1862 to Will, articulate 4-page letter North to South to Confederate Soldier William H. Gordon Jr. (Georgetown, DC to Richmond, Virginia) from both mother & sister – 2 pages from each. Docketing on last page reads “Georgetown D.C. Nov. 2 & 3/62, Mother & Sister, Underground” says, in part, “Have promised to write you by every opportunity, I again commence a letter as a friend offered to dispatch a document.” Mentions sending carte-visites to Mr. Ould… “Will any reach their places of destination is the question.” Gordon was a prisoner at Old Capitol just prior to this. [DC] [VA] $100.

William H. Gordon, Jr. The Wheatley and Gordon families lived at 3041-3045 N Street, Georgetown, D.C. during the Civil War. Although both families had southern sympathies, William H. Gordon, Sr. remained in his U.S. government job. He was commended upon retirement as being "one of the oldest and most valuable of government employees." His oldest son, William H. Gordon, Jr. had a Ph.D. and taught mathematics. Although he longed to help the rebel cause, he respected his parents' wishes and initially refrained from fighting. One day he got into an altercation with a federal officer. Because he refused to take the oath of allegiance to the government, he was jailed in Baltimore. He was exchanged for a Union prisoner and sent south. He became a lieutenant with the Confederate army and worked as an engineer. William Gordon Jr. received his pardon August 8th, 1865. At war's end he returned to D.C.