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At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. More than 85,000 items cover five hundred years of American history, from Columbus’s 1493 letter describing the New World through the end of the twentieth century.

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20 July 1863-17 August 1864

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: Letters U.S.S. Passaic S. Atlantic squadron from July 20, 1863 to May 13, 1864 and U.S.S. Isonomia N. Atlantic and Gulf squadron from Augt 17th 1864 to October 11th 1864

Majority of letters written and signed by Simpson, though several are clerically written and signed. Battle action of the Passaic off Charleston and battle reports of the steamer frigate U.S.S. Isonomia off Alabama and Western Florida. Also includes a typed letter from Charles W. Stewart to Lt. Commander Edward Simpson. The letter, dated 5 February 1906, is in regards to the return of Simpson's father's Civil War Journal. Enclosed with the letter are two circulars discussing the collection of US naval officers' papers and the desire to obtain them from families for public availability.…

GLC05911.05

19 August 1864-18 November 1864

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: Journal of a cruise in the U.S.S. Isonomia no. 1

No. I and II cover the record of the blockade ship Isonomia from the beginning of its service off Wilmington SC in August 1864 to 25 December 1864 when Simpson released command of the vessel. Calf covers. [30 August] "At daylight, Flag Pond battery & half moon opened fire on 'Dunbarton'" [this entry also includes a list of the nine blockaders present and the names of their officers; Simpson includes himself in this list] [31 August] "Had a false alarm and chased a shadow directed by a falling meteor which was mistaken for a rocket" [evidently Simpson's skittish crew was prone to…

GLC05911.06.01

19 November 1864

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: Journal of a cruise in the U.S.S. Isonomia, no. II

No. I and II cover the record of the blockade ship Isonomia from the beginning of its service off Wilmington SC in August 1864 to 25 December 1864 when Simpson released command of the vessel. Calf covers. [24 November] "…a seaman by the name of Wallace must have left the ship with the intention of deserting by swimming to one of the Keys. His pants and shoes were found n deck, and he had sold a lot of mess stores, that he had purchased from the "Union," a few days ago. Searched for him today, but could find no trace of him. Sent a boat to search sponging sloop in the neighborhood, but…

GLC05911.06.02

12 October 1864-1 June 1867

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript signed

Title: Letterbook of U.S.S. Isonomia East Gulf squadron from Oct 12th 1864 to Dec. 24th 1864 and U.S.S. Mohican N. Pacific squadron from Augt 14th 1866 to June 1st 1867

Majority of letters written and signed by Simpson, though several are clerically written and signed. Attacks on Fort Sumter, engagements with blockade runners and attacks on various gun batteries. Includes two letters regarding deserters of the U.S.S Mohican (stored in separate folder). Quarter morocco, marbled boards. Commissioned in 1859, the steam sloop USS Mohican served in the African Squadron in 1860-1861, before joining the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In October of 1862, the Mohican was sent on a fruitless search for Confederate raiders, the Florida and the Alabama; she…

GLC05911.07

18 August 1866-11 August 1867

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: Abstract journal U.S.S. Mohican N. P. [North Pacific] squadron

Written as commander, details cruises to and from South America. Photograph of the U.S.S. Mohican on p. 1. Hand drawn coastal and harbor charts for northern coast of South America, Panama and Uruguay. Engravings (clipped from magazine, news papers and cartes de visite) pasted in relevant portions of the log. Also includes a hand-drawn map of the North Atlantic and Caribbean Oceans (stored in separate folder).

GLC05911.08

6 September 1866-18 August 1868

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Manuscript

Title: Remark book. United States stmr "Mohican" & U.S. steamer Mohengo

Commander Simpson details cruises on the Mohican and Mohengo along the coasts of Central and South America and as far west as Hawaii. Log contains mainly observations of weather, position and conditions of the various ports and harbors visited. Envelope inscribed "Remark Book" pasted to the front.

GLC05911.09

15 December 1873-30 April 1874

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Letterbook

Title: No. 1 Letters, U.S.N.

Correspondence of Captain Simpson.

GLC05911.10

10 February 1874-13 April 1874

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: No. 3 journal U.S.N.

Log begins aboard the Franklin in Florida Bay. First Rate Captain Simpson was transferred to the Wabash in April 1874.

GLC05911.11

15 December 1873-9 February 1874

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: No. 3 journal U.S.N.

Log of the U.S.S. Franklin.

GLC05911.12

July 7 1875-15 November 1875

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: No. 3 journal U.S.N.

Captain Simpson's log of the U.S.S. Omaha "2nd Rate" on a cruise from "Panama Bay" [the Gulf of Panama] down the western coast of South America and around the Straits to Valaparaiso, Chile concluding at Callao, Peru.

GLC05911.13

26 June1875-3 May 1876

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Manuscript

Title: No. 1 letters U.S.N.

Captain Simpson's correspondence aboard the U.S.S. Powhatan (June 26 - 29, 1875) and the U.S.S. Omaha (July 9, 1875 - May 3, 1876). Original bookmark removed from page 221 to collateral file.

GLC05911.14

31 May 1876-16 July 1877

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Manuscript

Title: No. 2 letters. U.S.N .

Captain Simpson's letters from the U.S.S. Omaha cruising off the western coast of Central and South America. Includes two letters from Newport, Rhode Island dated April 1877.

GLC05911.15

January 14, 1881-March 2, 1886

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Manuscript

Title: Letter press book

Commodore Simpson's letterpress book with blotter papers and original correspondence interleaved in chronological order.

GLC05911.16

5 September 1880-31 March 1882

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: Journal of Edward Simpson, Jr.

Lt. Simpson's personal journal on board the U.S.F.S Richmond in the South Pacific Ocean.

GLC05911.19.01

October 14, 1880-February 25, 1882

Simpson, Edward Jr., fl. 1880-1882

Manuscript

Title: Navigation note book

Lt. Simpson's navigational logbook aboard the U.S.F.S. Richmond in the South Pacific Ocean. Pages 156 - 180 are a series of question and answer exercises on the theory and practice of navigation. Page 181 contains a series of translation exercises from English into both Spanish and French.

GLC05911.19.02

September 17, 1894-January 19,1896

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Autograph manuscript

Title: [Lieutenant Edward Simpson, Jr.'s personal journal of a voyage on the U.S.S. Concord and the U.S.F.S. Baltimore in the South Pacific].

Written aboard the U.S.S. Concord and the U.S.F.S. Baltimore. Particularly focused around Port Arthur, Japan. U.S.F.S. Baltimore containing 1) 9 October 1894 Nippon, Japan, "S. Ito, Commander-in-chief of H. I. Japanese M.'s United Squadron" "Official Report of the Naval Engagement which took place in the sea off Taikoshan . . . (Extract [and translation] from the report made by our commander-in-chief of the Fleet" and 2) 2 October 1894 Jiji Shimpo "The Real Condition of the Great Naval Battle in the Yellow Sea." Collateral material removed from volume: envelope addressed to Lieutenant…

GLC05911.20

7 December 1860-15 June 1861

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Scrapbook

Title: Newspaper scrapbook

Clippings from the New York Times, Baltimore Sun and the [ ] Daily Gazette, pasted in a blank account book and indexed on pages A/B - Y/Z. Leather covers with ornamental stamping in brown, red leather label with gilt title "LEDGER" on spine.

GLC05911.21

26 November 1875-15 November 1876

Simpson, Edward, 1824-1888

Manuscript

Title: Night order book

Pages one and two are "General Instructions", remainder of the book is Simpson's orders to the night watch on board the U.S.S. Omaha at sea.

GLC05911.22

20 September 1885

Manuscript

Title: French conjugation chart

Written from U.S. Marine Barracks, in Annapolis, Maryland. "Locality being a powerful aid to the Memory . . . to conjugate the verbs... and... the gender of French nouns." Red, blue and yellow "swirl" marbled boards.

GLC05911.23

5 January 1821

Smith, Albert, 1793-1867

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Hobart

Wishes Hobart a Happy New Year. Mentions that "the noise has not subsided regarding the post offices in Hanson & Pembroke." Also asks him to send a copy of the Intelligencer.

GLC06313.04.089

January 11, 1821

Ritchie, William, 1781-1842

Autograph letter signed

Title: to Aaron Hobart

Mentions that Mr. Thorndike, who believes Ritchie has influence with Hobart, has requested another ship sent to the Pacific Ocean, for the protection of commerce. Notes that there may be "some danger of increasing our Naval force in that Sea, lest our commander should come in collision with some of the yet unsettled authorities of that part of the world."

GLC06313.04.091

20 May 1861 - February 1862

Vance, Zebulon B., 1830-1894

Manuscript document

Title: Journal of the secret sessions of North Carolina with other Confederate states.

Record of the state of North Carolina and its relations with other Confederate states starting from the date it seceded from the Union. "Journal of the secret session of the convention of May 20, 1861 called to consider the relations of the State of North Carolina, with other states, united with her, in a compact of Government, known as the Constitution of the United States."

GLC08035