This analysis was prompted by an article published in the Fall 2026 issue of Civil War Navy. The Triton Submarine Apparatus: Newly Surfaced Letter Adds to Mystery by Edward T. Cotham Jr. and Andrew W. Hall describes a Confederate submarine named the Triton.  A key part of their analysis centers on a letter requiring Ebenezer Allen’s signature that inventor C. Williams later signed and sent to Texas. The article describes the invention and its ultimate rejection.

I decided to take a whimsical approach to my new analysis of the mysterious death of Ebenezer Allen. I assumed the role of a 19th-century private detective in Richmond, Virginia. The detective, Mr. Allen Mesch, was retained by Mr. C. Williams to investigate the death of his solicitor, Mr. Ebenezer Allen.

Don’t be concerned. In the latter part of my analysis, I return to September 2026 for a more serious evaluation of the evidence.

When I began reviewing the information about the Allen/Williams letter, I had no idea that it would turn into such an undertaking.

Please read the complete analysis to learn the impact of the mysterious letter on my prior conclusions.

Allen Mesch
Plano, TX
September 2026