Presented in this lot is a Rare Civil War Libby Prison Prisoner-Of-War Letter to S. L. Hart, December 23, 1863. Provenance: Tombstone Western Heritage Museum, Tombstone, Arizona. This handwritten letter was from "Captain F. W. Perry, 10th Wisconsin Infantry", an acquaintance of Hart's from Menasha, Wisconsin. In addition to comments regarding mutual acquaintances from Menasha, Perry describes the physical effects of the war to the Southern states he has traveled through. The length of this letter is unique in that the rules of Libby Prison limited men to six lines for their letters to family and friends. Libby Prison was a Confederate prison in Richmond, Virginia designated to hold officer prisoners from the Union Army. As the conflict wore on the prison gained an infamous reputation for the overcrowded and harsh conditions. Prisoners suffered high mortality from disease and malnutrition. By 1863, one thousand prisoners were crowded into large open rooms on two floors, with open, barred windows leaving them exposed to weather and temperature extremes. Samuel Lombard Hart (1830-1893) prior to becoming a very highly regarded and skilled gunsmith over his ten years in Tombstone, had two separate tours of duty with Union forces in the Civil War. As a Lieutenant, he served with the Wisconsin 10th Infantry and as an Assistant Signal Officer for the 4th Division of the Army of the Tennessee seeing action in several battles including Pittsburgh Landing. After the war as a gunsmith in Tombstone Arizona Territory, if gun repairs were needed, Hart's on Freemont Street was the place to go, located just a short distance from the famous Fly Photography studio and right next door to the O.K. Corral. On Oct. 26th of 1881 Hart, while working in his store, would be one of the relatively few witnesses to the Gunfight at the O.K. Corral that made Tombstone and the Earp's famous. Guns that were re-worked or repaired by Hart were often stamped with his logo, which was the letters S and L over a "heart," an artistic yet compact and simple way of saying "S.L. Hart." S.L. was entrusted with both basic repairs as well as also sought out for his special Colt pistols. Some of Hart's more notable clients were US Marshal Wyatt Earp, Doc Holiday, outlaw Ike Clanton and Buckskin Frank Leslie. It has been said that the legacy of S.L. Hart as gunsmith to the cowboys, gamblers, lawmen, and gunfighters of Tombstone cannot be over estimated. A "Tombstone" Colt Single Action Army Revolver with Hart's markings on it sold at a Rock Island Auction Company 2010 auction for $32,500.00. Today a firearm with the "S.L. Hart" stamp is almost priceless. The letter is in amazingly well preserved condition, in a clear protective sleeve. Measures 9.5"W x 11.25"L, combined weight is U6.