November 16, 1863

Lee, Robert E., 1807-1870

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Mrs. Grace Stevens

Mrs. Stevens's husband had been lost aboard the C.S.S. Ram. A very gracious letter.

GLC01882

1860-1866

Painter, Heber, 1841-1900

Header Record

Title: Collection of Heber Painter, I company, 58th regiment, Pennsylvania, infantry [Decimalized .001-.182]

The collection mostly consists of correspondence from Painter to his aunt and sisters. His letters contain descriptions of camp life, his feelings towards slavery, and anti-Yankee sentiment in Virginia shortly after the war. More specifically he witnesses fighting between the Monitor and Merrimac, the Battle at Batchelder's Creek, the Battle of Fort Harrison/Chaffin's Farm, the fall of Richmond, and the Union occupation of Petersburg. A collection inventory is available.

GLC02016

21 June 1865

Lee, Samuel Phillips, 1812-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Andrew Johnson

Signed by Acting Rear Admiral Lee as Commander of the Mississippi Squadron to President Johnson. Lee says that John Mercer Brooke of Virginia, who is now in Richmond, is deserving of amnesty. Says Brooke was trained in the U.S. Navy, resigned to join the Confederate Navy, designed guns (the Brooke gun), and experimented with iron plating. Brooke claims to have had nothing to do with prisoners, cruisers, or illegitimate warfare. Says Brooke had a good reputation in the U.S. Navy and that his surveys of the China Seas are still useful. Says Brooke has taken the oath of allegiance, is poor and…

GLC02029.01

January 1, 1864-December 31, 1864

Shallenburger, George W., ?-1872

Diary

Title: [Union Navy diary of 2nd Assistant Engineer George W. Shallenburger on USS Queen City]

Black wrap-around leather diary. Has a cover page that says "Perpetual Diary / A. Liebenroth & Van Auw / 25 Beekman Street / New York." Signed three times by Shallenburger: on the inside front cover, on the first page, and on the 1864 calendar page. Three days printed on each page, except for Sundays, which take up an entire page. Written mostly along the White and Mississippi Rivers. The majority of entries consist of 1-2 sentences. Mostly concerned with the weather, the conditions along the White and Mississippi Rivers, letters he wrote and received, and references to the ship and…

GLC02263.01

12 November 1861

Ericsson, John, 1803-1889

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Munn & Company

Written by Ericsson, the Swedish immigrant inventor responsible for building the first Union ironclad ship, to the Munn & Company as proprietors of the magazine "Scientific American." Writes that he is returning their article "on the subject of my battery, with some few typographical errors corrected." Pleased that they are putting the matter before their readers entirely on its own merits. File also has 2 pages torn from a bound volume of "Harper's Weekly." One is dated from January 1862 and the other from 29 March 1862 and both have articles on Ericsson. The January 1862 article has a…

GLC02106

19 June 1863

Dupont, Samuel F., 1803-1865

Letter signed

Title: to Thomas H. Patterson

Written aboard the U.S.S. Wabash in Port Royal Harbor. Rear Admiral Dupont gives orders to Patterson, commander of the U.S.S. James Adger on delivering prisoners of war to the proper authorities. Instructs Patterson to " ... proceed with the James Adger, under your command to Fortress Monroe and deliver to the proper authorities there the officers and crew of the Confederate ironclad Atlanta, captured on the 17th instant in Wassaw by the ironclad Weehawken, a list of whom is herewith enclosed." Also orders Patterson to take a few other prisoners captured either at North Edisto by Acting…

GLC02115

September 17, 1864

Drayton, Percival, 1812-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to J. C. Palmer

Drayton served as captain of Admiral David Farragut's flagship, the sloop of war "Hartford," and also as fleet captain of the West Gulf Blockade Squadron. Tells Palmer, the fleet surgeon on board the "Pensacola," that he sent a box and small package by the "Sebago" for Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan. Wants Palmer to ask Buchanan when the 15 inch shot that almost penetrated the port side of the CSS "Tennessee" during the Battle of Mobile Bay in August 1864 was delivered. Both Buchanan and the "Tennessee" were captured during the battle -- Buchanan was wounded. Wants to know if anything…

GLC01545.07

1837-1908

Stafford, Robert H., fl. 1837-1866

Header Record

Title: Robert H. Stafford Collection [Decimalized .01- .98]

Stafford enlisted as a sergeant in the 12th Alabama infantry. Contains letters and newsclippings about the Peninsula Campaign, advance into Maryland, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Wilderness, Spotsylvania, and Early's raid on Washington, D.C. Preliminary inventory included.

GLC02618

February 27, 1863

Dupont, Samuel F., 1803-1865

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Edward Bates

Written by Rear Admiral DuPont to U.S. Attorney General Bates. Says he perceives by a return made by the Navy Department to the House of Representatives on prizes that many cases have been appealed to the Supreme Court. Says many officers and himself have a financial interest in the proceedings and that he will ask his friend the Maryland U.S. Representative Henry Winter Davis to be his counsel before that court, if the goverment is not employing him. Du Pont was given direct orders from the Navy Department to launch an attack on Charleston, South Carolina, the main area in which the…

GLC02466.03

14 September 1864

Engle, Frederick, 1799-1868

Autograph letter signed

Title: to David G. Farragut

Written by Captain Engle as the governor of the naval asylum in Philadelphia to Admiral Farragut as commander of the blockading squadron off Mobile, Alabama. Congratulating Farragut for his victory at Mobile Bay on 5 August 1864. Says "The world on which I am lodged as a speck of sand is astonished at your great Success." Claims that no one rejoices as much as him on Farragut's victory. Says the bearer of this letter, James G. Stacey, is the son of a former schoolmate, Seamis B. Stacey, who died. Asks Farragut to help James in any way possible. Includes envelope (7.7 x 13.9 cm.) addressed to…

GLC02466.04

9 June 1864

Winslow, John Ancrum, 1811-1873

Autograph letter signed

Title: to unknown

Written by Captain Winslow as the commander of the "Kearsarge." References previous two notes from recipient. Says prior leaving for Flushing, Holland he sent an officer to Paris to communicate with Mr. Dayton who was trying to discover the meaning of CSS "Rappahannock's" preparation for sea. Says Dayton was informed that the commission of lawyers had not debated the subject. Claims if they decided to release the ship, Dayton would over rule it. Says the Minister of Foreign Affairs has told him there is no change in the ship's status. Doubts that the "Rappahannock" will get out of port as a…

GLC02466.16

2 December 1863

Worden, John Lorimen, 1818-1897

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Abraham Lincoln

Written by Captain Worden to President Lincoln. Says the Reverend Alfred C. Roe wishes to make himself useful to the suppression of the rebellion and that he seeks an appointment as a chaplain in the army. Claims to have known Roe for some time and that he is qualified for the position. Would feel gratified if Roe gets appointment. Worden commanded the USS "Monitor" against the Confederate vessel "Virginia" (originally named "Merrimack") in first battle of ironclad ships in 1862.

GLC02466.17

15 March 1862

Newspaper

Title: New York tribune. [Vol. 21, no. 6535 (March 15, 1862)]

Merrimac, Manassas, New Madrid, Ky. map

GLC08516.02

16 May 1863

Turner, Thomas, 1808-?

Document signed

Title: Divisional order

Signed by Commodore Turner. This copy of the order could have been sent to Captain Thomas H. Patterson of the USS "James Adger," as the docket says "Jas Adger." Demands great vigilance of the blockaders. Has received information on a large fleet of steamers at Nassau ready to run the blockade. Reports that 1 steamer and 5 sailing vessels escaped Charleston Harbor last night, and only 2 were captured. Says two nights earlier a steamer ran into the north channel of the harbor without a shot being fired at it. Claims that most ships that attempt to run the blockade do so at high tide, but that…

GLC08576

14 March 1862

Newspaper

Title: New York semi-weekly tribune. [Vol. 17, no. 1753 (March 14, 1862)]

Battle of Monitor and Merrimac, news of Texas and Arkansas.

GLC08429.07

circa 1911

Goff, Albert H., fl. 1842-?

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Description of the Battle of Mobile Bay]

Goff served as a 3rd Assistant Engineer aboard the USS "Chickasaw" during the Battle of Mobile Bay. Looking back at age 69, Goff provides an account of the battle. Relates that the "Chickasaw," an ironclad monitor, was ordered to take a position between Fort Morgan and the wooden vessels to protect them the fort's batteries. Says that "Then the fight was on & How vicously [sic] that water batter fired at us! I could feel their 10 ince shot and shell strike our turrets and side armor. I could hear the whir of the balls as they passed over our decks. Realizing there were torpedoes…

GLC08431

28 November 1864

Lee, Sydney Smith, 1802-1869

Document signed

Title: [Confederate States Navy Department orders to proceed to Richmond]

Partially printed document signed by Captain Sydney Smith Lee. Docket added 1 December 1864 reads: "Be pleased to assume command of the C.S. Iron-Clad 'Richmond'." Co-signed by John Mitchell aboard the Virginia. Sidney Smith Lee, older brother of Robert E. Lee, had accompanied Perry to Japan in 1853 and served as one of the early commandants of the U.S. Naval Academy Lee was commissioned as a commander in the Confederate Navy in 1861 and promoted to captain and chief of the Confederate Navy Bureau of Orders and Detail in 1864.

GLC00684.13

1861-1862

Hollingsworth, William T., fl. 1861-1862

Header Record

Title: [Collection of William T. Hollingsworth, D company, 3rd regiment, Georgia, infantry] [decimalized]

Collection includes eight letters and envelopes written from Confederate surgeon William T. Hollingsworth to his brother James H. Hollingsworth. The collection includes numerous postal covers and a family genealogy book. The correspondence mentions the Battles of First Bull Run, the duel between the Monitor and the Merrimac (Battle of Hampton), and a detailed personal account of the Battle of Seven Pines. Draft transcripts are available.

GLC00653.20

February-May 1864

Allen, George Walter, 1842-1912

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: [Diary aboard the U.S.S. Nantucket]

Allen was an officer on the USS "Nantucket" during and before the bombardment of Fort Sumter. The diary appears to have been written within days of the actions. Includes manuscript pencil and ink "Sketch of Charleston Harbor and fortifications," and with his drawings of Fort Sumter after its bombardment and the ironclad USS Nantucket. An interesting table at the end lists the damage made by every mortar shot at Fort Sumter from his ship.

GLC01006

1863-1865

Various

Header Record

Title: [5 Documents pertaining to the surrender of CSS Atlanta to Union ironclads] [decimalized .01-.05]

Documenting the surrender and prisoner transfers of a Confederate ironclad steamer. Webb was commander of the CSS "Atlanta," which surrendered to Union ironclads. Documents include lists of officers and crew. The CSS "Atlanta" was an ironclad ram stationed at Savannah, Georgia until 16 June 1863 when the Commander William Webb steamed downriver to attack Union monitors in the blockade. It was run aground and forced to surrender. Webb remained a prisoner until he was exchanged on 18 October 1864. The capture was widely publicized in Northern newspapers. Dated March 20, 1863-June 25, 1863.

GLC01007

21 October 1864

Drowne, Byron P., 1848-1933

Header Record

Title: Letter to his mother and photograph of Byron P. Drowne [Decimalized .01- .02]

Letter from 16-year-old Drowne to his mother, written on the USS "Catalpa" off Charleston. Accompanying photograph.

GLC01008.02

23 May 1864

Header Record

Title: Collection of 2 items related to Richard S. Taylor [Decimalized]

GLC00825

20 June 1864

Maury, William Lewis, 1813-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nan [Maury]

Writes that he is much better but still not well enough to make the trip to Milton. Notes that if not for his illness he would have been sent to command one of the Ironclads at Richmond. Year inferred.

GLC04572.21

February 12, 1865

Maury, William Lewis, 1813-1878

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Nan [Maury]

Mentions family and friends in Richmond. Captain Lee thinks there may be an opening for him in the Navy in an ironclad at Charleston.

GLC04572.26

7 October 1863

Walbridge, Charles E., 1842-?

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Louise Walbridge

Provides a description of the attack on the "New Ironsides" by the Confederate torpedo boat "David." "The rebels came down the harbor in a small cigar shaped steamer... She lay off some distance from the Ironsides and sent a small boat with a torpedo to blow her up... It made a tremendous explosion, throwing water all over the vessels, but I do not think she is much injured... would have been a serious blow to us if she had succeeded in disabling the Ironsides, for she is worth the whole fleet of monitors put together..."

GLC04663.25