The Day The War Stopped A Letter Signed By Both An Union Naval Officer And A Confederate Officer Describing The Death And Burial Of Union Lt. Commander John E. Hart Of The Uss Albatross: The Officers Of This Ship Beg To Express To The Friends Of Capt. Hart, Our Great Respect And Profound Sorrow For The Loss Of Our Brave Commander. Cet article n’est pas disponible.The Day The War Stopped A Letter Signed By Both An Union Naval Officer And A Confederate Officer Describing The Death And Burial Of Union Lt. Commander John E. Hart Of The Uss Albatross: The Officers Of This Ship Beg To Express To The Friends Of Capt. Hart, Our Great Respect And Profound Sorrow For The Loss Of Our Brave Commander

THEODORE B. DUBOIS. Theodore Dubois was naval officer for the Union during the Civil War. He fought on the USS Albatross, a steamboat acquired by the Union Navy and equipped with heavy guns to aid in their blockades against the Confederacy. During Lt. Commander John E. Harts burial, Dubois raised the flag of truce to seek out help.WILLIAM WALTER LEAKE (1833-1912). Leake was a Confederate Army officer from Louisiana who was also a newspaper publisher, a member of the state senate and a bank president.LS. 2pg. No date [circa June 1863]. St. Francisville, Louisiana. A partial letter signed T. B. DuBois and W. W. Leake to the family of John Hart, a Union Commander regarding his peculiar burial in St. Francisville, Louisiana. Although the first portion of the letter is missing, the retained portion states: I was unable to procure a metallic coffin in order to send his remains to New Orleans. He was buried to-day in the Churchyard of St. Francisville, by order of Commodore James S. Palmer. The Freemason residents allowed us to bury him in their lot in a beautiful part of the Church yard. They all attended, in customary regalia. He was buried with Military and masonic honors. The Episcopal service was read by the Rev. Dr. Lewis Pastor of the Church of St. Francisville. A certificate of his burial will be sent to you and the remains can be sent for by com-munication with the Lodge mentioned in the certificate. St. Francisville Town in the Parish of West Feliciana. Located one half mile from the Bayou Sara Landing - on the Missis-sippi river, Thirty five miles above Baton Rouge and ten above Port Hudson. Seperate Capt. Harts effects together with an exact inventory of the same will be forwarded as soon as possible. His accounts also will be sent as soon as settled. The officers of this ship beg to express to the friends of Capt. Hart, our great respect and profound sorrow for the loss of our brave Commander. I shall be happy to furnish you Sir, with any further inform-ation concerning this melancholy event. Respectfully, T. B. DuBois Executive Officer U.S. USS Albatross P. S. He was buried in his uniform. Feliciana Lodge No. 31 St. Francisville, La. W. W. Leake S.W. actg W.M. [Worshipful Master, the highest elected authority in a local Masonic Lodge]. Dubois describes the circumstances of Harts burial. Lt. Commander Hart contracted yellow fever, and within days, committed suicide on June 11, 1863. Due to the war, the officers would not be able to send his body home for burial. Having no where else to go, they turned to the town they were just shelling, St. Francisville, Louisiana, where DuBois rode to shore waving a white flag. As Hart was a Freemason, they asked if anyone was a Mason so he could have the burial he would have wanted; that led them to William Walter Leake. Leake was a Confederate Army Captain who was a company commander in the 1st Louisiana Cavalry, but was home on furlough. He was the Senior Warden of a local Mason lodge and made Harts arrangements at Grace Episcopal Church. The Confederates agreed to a temporary truce, allowing the Union soldiers to bring Harts body to shore and have the funeral. The funeral was attended by Confederate and Union officers, all Masons, and Hart was buried with full Masonic honors. Leake maintained and decorated Harts grave until his own death in 1912. DuBois letter is informing John Harts family about this event, which is an essential retelling of the situation. This letter is incomplete; there is no formal beginning as the second half of the first page is taped to the top of the second page. The letter is in very good condition with tape on the verso. A rare letter signed by both Union and Confederate officers. …