Our Collection

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.

Renshaw, Richard T., 1822-1879 Papers from Battle of Roanoke Island to end of war re: torpedoes [decimalized .01-.39]

Order a pdf of this item here.

Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02254 Author/Creator: Renshaw, Richard T., 1822-1879 Place Written: Various Places Type: Header Record Date: 1862-1865 Pagination: 39 items Order a Copy

This collection is composed of 39 items, including correspondence, general orders, legal documents, and a handwritten manual of arms and drilling. These items are largely associated with R.T. Renshaw, a Union sailor from North Carolina, and document many of the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area off the North Carolina coast, including Albemarle Sound, the Neuse River, Pamlico Sound, and Hatteras Inlet. Renshaw himself authored only a handful of the items gathered here, including two letters (one incomplete) home to his wife Ella (#25 and #38), and a miniature manual of arms (#37). The remaining items in the collection were authored by various Navy commanders, including Gideon Welles (#3), Ambrose Burnside (#35), David D. Porter (#26), Samuel Phillips Lee (#6, 7, 32 and 33), Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough (#1 and #2), and Melancton Smith (#18, 19, and 20). They discuss naval victories, blockading, ammunition and firearms, a survey of Union and captured ships, and lease of civilian schooners after the war. Additionally, the collection contains a postwar document in Spanish (#34) regarding the Virginius incident, and Admiral S.P. Lee's orders to Renshaw dated around the same time from Havana, Cuba (#32 and #33). Arranged chronologically.
Captain Richard T. Renshaw began his naval career as a midshipman in 1838. Prior to his resignation in 1852 he had been commissioned to acting master. When the Civil War broke out, Renshaw reentered the Navy as a lieutenant (1861), served in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and was later promoted to commander (1862) and captain (1868).

Citation Guidelines for Online Resources