Margaret E. Pollard Letters, 1839-1841, 1845 | Sargeant Memorial Collection

Scope and Contents: Twenty-two love letters from United States Navy Lieutenant James Madison Lockert to Margaret E. Pollard of Norfolk, Virginia, primarily during their courtship from 1839-1841 when he was aboard the USS Brandywine. Also included is Lockert's letter to Benjamin Pollard asking for Margaret's hand in marriage, a letter from Aunt Ellen, and two pages of verse mourning the death of Lockert in 1845. The collection also includes a cloth bookcover with printed obituaries pasted on the interior featuring Lockert and other sailors who died on the USS Vandalia from yellow fever in April 1845. The last folder contains photocopies of all 26 letters.