25 November 1861

Buchanan, Franklin, 1800-1874

Document signed

Title: to Lewis Doughty

Receipt from the Confederate States Navy Department for $518.18 for repairs and equipment for Confederate gunboats. Payment made to Lewis Doughty, who signed this document twice, of the Marine Railway Co. Marks down work on 9 ships and the supplies of wood needed to repair them. Approved by Captain Franklin Buchanan, who signed the receipt. Also signed by boatswain W.H. Face. Marked at top as "In Triplicate." Buchanan was a Confederate admiral. In 1845-47, he served as the first Superintendent of the United States Naval Academy, followed by notable Mexican-American War service. In 1859-61,…

GLC03914

8-9 January 1776

Bartlett, Josiah, 1729-1795

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Langdon

Bartlett, a Continental Congressman, informs Langdon that "The Congress have ordered the Secret Committee to purchase & bring in for the use of the navy & army sundry articles which were under consideration before you left the Congress." Discusses the purchase and transport of goods bought from the European Market. States that he received information from Langdon's friend Wharton (possibly Samuel Wharton) regarding drawing money from Mr. Tracy in Newbury Port to assist with shipping cargo. Refers to the Philadelphia arrival of Major Patton's (possibly John Patton's) brig, which…

GLC03892

1758-1788

Mauger, Joshua, 1725-1788

Header Record

Title: Archive of correspondence re: Nova Scotia politics and mercantile affairs [partially decimalized]

Also mentions the Stamp Act, Bunker Hill and early Revolutionary War. Joshua Mauger Collection. [various places]: 343 items, 1619-1789 (bulk: 1763-1785). The greater part of the collection consists of 249 letters to Mauger, dealing primarily with his business interests in Nova Scotia and England. It also includes 4 letterbooks, letter copies written by Mauger while living in Halifax and England, and financial papers such as accounts, bonds and indentures owed to Mauger. Joshua Mauger (1725-1788) was a merchant who built his fortune through trade and alcohol distilling in British Nova…

GLC03902

8 April 1862

Foote, Andrew H. (Andrew Hull), 1806-1863

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Caroline Flagg Foote

Written by Foote as commander of the Mississippi River Squadron to his wife. Written from Island No. 10, the day after Foote's Squadron captured it. Says he can barely lift his pen to write after the recent fight and the "intense mental anxiety for 23 days." Says she will see the account of the capture of Island No. 10 and claims "It is a Gibraltar." Says he cannot keep his head up and will feel better after a good night's sleep. Says his foot (earlier injured by a Confederate shell) is bothering him. Also includes a black and white print titled "Bombardment of Island No. 10." Shows ironclad…

GLC03910

7 June 1861

Winthrop, Theodore, 1828-1861

Autograph document signed

Title: [Special order of General Benjamin Butler]

Written 3 days before Winthrop famously became the first Union officer killed in the Civil War. Winthrop was an aide de camp to General Benjamin Butler at Fortress Monroe in Virginia. Document marked "Special order." Winthrop wants this order posted for the "so-called Naval Brigade" to see. Says the Naval Brigade will be inspected. Says each man that passes will be formed into companies for a regiment. Will be given clothing and equipment and be allowed to elect their officers. All those who do not want to enlist will be sent back to New York. Before the war Winthrop was a novelist, lawyer,…

GLC03915.02

1 November 1776

Jones, John Paul, 1747-1792

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Hoysted Hacker

Initialed by Jones on board the Alfred. Jones, commander of an expedition to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, informs Hacker (also on the expedition) that the Alfred will proceed to "the Spanish River near Cape North on the Island of Cape Briton." Informs Hacker, Captain of the Providence, of signals to use for identifying one another in heavy fog. Requests that the Alfred and Providence sail close together. Docket indicates that this letter is a copy.

GLC03928

10 February 1863

Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865

Manuscript document signed

Title: to David Hunter

To Major General Hunter, Commander of the Department of the South, Brigadier General Rufus Saxton, military governor of the region including South Carolina, A. C. Smith, W. E. Wording, and William Henry Brisbane. President Lincoln authorizes these men to "select for Government use, for War, Military, Naval, revenue, Charitable, Educational or police purposes such tracts, parcels or lots of land, within the State of South Carolina, from the lands which may have been or which may hereafter be offered for sale by the Direct Tax Commissioners in said State." Authorizes the men's action based on…

GLC04001

13 July 1898

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: [Commission of William Sampson as commodore in Navy]

Commission of William Sampson as commodore in Navy. Signed by John D. Long as Secretary of the Navy and William McKinley as President of the United States. Docket on lower lefthand side. Blue seal intact. Printed at the Bureau, Engraving, and Printing.

GLC04002.01

10 August 1898

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: [Commission of William Sampson as rear admiral in Navy]

Commission of William Sampson as rear admiral in Navy. Signed by William McKinley as President of the United States and John D. Long as Secretary of the Navy. Promoted for "eminent and conspicuous conduct in battle." Docket on lower lefthand side. Blue seal intact. Document is partially warped.

GLC04002.02

12 April 1899

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: [Commission of William Sampson as rear admiral in Navy]

Commission of William Sampson as rear admiral in Navy. Signed by William McKinley as President of the United States and John D. Long as Secretary of the Navy. Docket on lower lefthand side. Blue seal intact. Printed at the "Bureau, Engraving & Printing."

GLC04002.03

19 August 1898

McKinley, William, 1843-1901

Document signed

Title: [Appointment of William Sampson as commissioner to meet with Spanish regarding Cuba]

Commissioning William Sampson to meet with Spanish representatives concerning their evacuation of Cuba. Signed by William McKinley as President of the United States. Countersigned by J.B. Moore as acting Secretary of State. White seal on bottom lefthand corner. Document is warped.

GLC04002.04

9 April 1794

Jay, John, 1745-1829

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Sarah Jay

Refers to his wife Sarah as Sally. Comments to his wife that he dined with President Washington. Relates there is a suspenseful atmosphere in the capital over a possible war with Britain. He says peace will probably prevail, but that war should be prepared for. Fears that the anger over British seizures at sea and their continued presence in the Northwest will lead to intemperate actions on the part of the government. Continues the letter on 10 April 1794. Mentions that he is glad boards were sent to his brother's house at Rye, New York and says he will have to attend to personal business…

GLC04011

28 November 1865

Semmes, Raphael, 1809-1877

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John M. Kell

Kell was first officer of the Alabama from 1862 to 1864. Writes to Kell to answer his question about taking the pardon, to thank him for naming his first-born son after him, and to tell him of the disposition of prize money from the ship. Semmes states that he had not been offered a pardon, did not mean to ask for one, and would refuse one if it were offered to him.

GLC04021

circa 1880

Kell, John McIntosh, 1823-1900

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Account of battle between C.S.S. Alabama and U.S.S. Kearsarge]

Writes about the battle between the C.S.S. Alabama and U.S.S. Kearsarge, which "took place in the English Channel, about seven miles distant from the port of Cherbourg, France on the 19th day of June 1864." On first and second pages, gives details about the building of the Alabama and its capabilities as "a complete Steamer & Sailing ship" with eight guns. On the third page, describes the Alabama's captain, "the Gallant Semmes, Brainy in intellect, Wiry in build & indefatigable in work." Lists the rest of the crew. From the fifth to the eighth page, describes the action…

GLC04022

February 21, 1783

Paca, William, 1740-1799

Autograph letter

Title: to George Washington

Written by Paca, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as Governor of Maryland to General Washington. Signature has been clipped and added. Says there is reason to believe the British crown has prohibited offensive operations on the continent. Claims that if that is true, it has been violated by armed vessels in the Chesapeake. Says a party under Wheland landed and plundered the town of Benedict, Maryland. Mentions that Colonel Plater's negroes were plundered. Wants Washington to know about these violations so he can bring them up in any future negotiations with British officers.

GLC03937

10 June 1862

Fox, Gustavus Vasa, 1821-1883

Autograph letter signed

Title: to John Dahlgren

Written by Fox as Assistant Secretary of the Navy to Dahlgren as commander of the Washington Navy Yard. Tells Dahlgren that Ericsson is willing to produce 1 inch plates. Wants his report on the firing of cannon and his opinion before he proceeds. Dahlgren wrote a note at the bottom saying "Ericson was very positive as to his plates - why should he hesitate now?" Refers to inventor John Ericsson, who designed the ironclad "Monitor."

GLC03959.02

28 May 1782

Madison, James, 1751-1836

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Arthur Lee

Reports on intelligence received from the arrival of USS Alliance and a French cutter ship, commenting on British attempts to weaken the American-French alliance. Discusses the diplomatic efforts of John Adams, Francis Dana, Robert Livingston, and John Jay in Europe. Mentions the capitulation of Yorktown and the good acquired. Comments on conflicting reports of activities in the West Indies. Ventures the opinion that "every triumph of enemy on the ocean is rather a new argument to all of Europe in favor of our independence." Closes with comments about the need for greater representation…

GLC03930

August 1777

Hopkinson, Francis, 1737-1791

Autograph document signed

Title: to John Hancock and Robert Morris

Possibly written at Philadelphia. Hopkinson, John Nixon, and John Wharton submit a Continental Navy Board report to Congress. The Board designates a sum paid to "officers and Men on Board every Fire Ship in the River Delaware & Co the officers and Crew of any Chain of Fire Rafts which shall actually set on Fire & destroy any one of the Enemy's Ships of War ... " States that $2000 shall be divided in the following manner: $500 to the captain, $300 to the lieutenant, and the remainder equally divided among the crew.

GLC03939

18 November 1775

Laurens, Henry, 1724-1792

Autograph document signed

Title: [Assessment of value of the Prosper, a British ship]

Laurens, Roger Smith, and Edward Blake obey orders of the South Carolina Provincial Congress in assessing the value the Prosper, which had been seized for service by the colonies. The men state that the ship is worth 2,000 pounds and recommend that government pay the sum and procure a ship register from Captain Smith, former commander of the Prosper.

GLC03942

8 December 1879

Ericsson, John, 1803-1889

Letter signed

Title: to Franklin Hanford

Comments briefly on a lecture Hanford gave. Discusses an account of a torpedo experiment he published in the Army and Navy Journal. Expresses his reluctance to have foreigners transmit information overseas. Mentions that he left out information about how the torpedo entered the water in deference to Commodore Jeffers of the Navy Department and Ordnance Office. Since the results were unfavorable, they may try more experiments and would like to keep the information quiet for now. Adds an autograph postscript at the bottom of page three where he discusses sketches and a record of the…

GLC03959.01

25 August 1879

Ericsson, John, 1803-1889

Letter

Title: to Franklin Hanford

Clerical copy. Reports that he has recommended the Bureau to remove the Ordnance Scow from Sandy Hook because it cannot sustain heavy weather. Discusses the torpedo trials and states they have accomplished what was intended, "ascertaining if the explosive energy of powder gases can be substituted for compressed air in expelling submerged torpedoes. The result is more than successful, it is brilliant!" Explains the scientific and mechanical workings that have produced this result. Addressed to Hanford, Lieutenant Commander, Inspector of Ordnance, Navy Yard, New York.

GLC03959.03

5 September 1799

Stoddert, Benjamin, 1751-1813

Printed document signed

Title: to Captain Lever

Stoddert, Secretary of the Navy, signs a circular outlining an Act of Congress passed 22 March 1794, "to prohibit the carrying on the Slave Trade from the United States to any foreign place or country..." The Act orders that no United States citizen or resident shall fit or prepare a ship for the purpose of engaging in the slave trade. In the same vein, no citizen is allowed to use a ship to procure inhabitants of a foreign country for sale in the slave trade abroad. Instructs Lever to inform the Department of the Navy of all vessels engaged in the slave trade.

GLC03964

1641-1862

Header Record

Title: Collection of important printed treaties [decimalized]

GLC03985

1844

Book

Title: Instructions for...naval officers employed in...suppression of...slave trade

Volume contains 27 treaties with foreign powers for the suppression of the slave trade. Published for use by British naval captains.

GLC03985.01

16 August 1793

Knox, Henry, 1750-1806

Letter signed

Title: to John Hancock

Knox, Secretary of War, discusses President George Washington's orders regarding captured naval prizes. Requests that Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts, restore any naval prizes brought into the harbors and ports of Massachusetts to the master or owner at the time of capture. Orders that if it is impossible to discern the identity of the vessel's former master, it should be delivered to the person "to which the prize belonged at the time of its capture."

GLC04109