2 page (1 sheet, front & back) ALS in ink on personal pre-printed stationary.  Heading reads, “J. B. KERSHAW, / Attorney and Counsellor at Law. / Camden, S.C.”.  Handwritten date is June 15^th, 1877.  Lined paper measures 5” x 8”.  Excellent condition, ink is dark and all legible.  Light yellowing along edges; fold lines.  One small scrape at upper left corner on page 1.

The letter is address to “Hon. B. H. Massey”.  Benjamin Harper Massey (1845 – 1910) was a Fort Mill, S.C., farmer whose troubles during Reconstruction led him into Democratic party politics. He campaigned for the "straightout" ticket in 1876 and helped Wade Hampton overthrow Republican rule in the state. He represented York County in the S.C. House of Representatives, served on the state penitentiary board, and maintained active memberships in the statewide agricultural societies.

Text of the letter is as follows:

Hon. B. H. Massey,

My Dear Massey

I have been waiting for the opportunity to write you, to thank you for your noble and disinter-ested support in the re-cent elections.  I am sure you must feel gratified by the margin [?] which the result has been recd by all our people.  It will be the aim of my life to justify your good opinion & I will always re-member gratefully your generous support.

If I can ever do you a service remember I am always

Yours Sincerely,

J. B. Kershaw

Joseph Brevard Kershaw:

Colonel, Second South Carolina Volunteer Infantry, May 22,1861.

Brigadier general, P. A. C. S., February 13, 1862.

Major general, P. A. C. S., May 18, 1864.

Died at Camden, South Carolina, April 13, 1894.

Commands:

Brigade composed of the Second, Third, Seventh, Eighth, Fifteenth and Twentieth South Carolina Regiments Infantry, McLaw's Division, Longstreet's Corps, Army of Northern

Virginia. Division composed of the brigades of Conner, Wofford, Humphreys and Bryan, Army of Tennessee.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

THIS ITEM, AS WITH ALL OTHER ITEMS AVAILABLE ON OUR WEB SITE,

MAY BE PURCHASED THROUGH OUR LAYAWAY PROGRAM.

FOR OUR POLICIES AND TERMS,

CLICK ON ‘CONTACT US’ AT THE TOP OF ANY PAGE ON THE SITE,

THEN ON ‘LAYAWAY POLICY’.

THANK YOU!