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Prentiss family. Prentiss family papers, 1855-1987.

Title: Prentiss family papers, 1855-1987.

Letters, journals, diary, and miscellaneous documents created by William S. Prentiss, Roderick Prentiss, William Prentiss, and their descendants. Nine letters were written by Roderick to his brother, William which describe his experiences as a cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy and an officer serving aboard the U.S. naval vessels Portsmouth, Crusader, and Monongahela. The letters describe student life, shipboard incidents, and fellow shipmates in some detail. Two additional letters from Roderick were written to his father, William S. Prentiss, just days before Roderick's death during the Battle of Mobile. These letters describe Roderick's religious conversion and presentiment of death in addition to preparations for the upcoming fight. One letter from William S. Prentiss to his wife discusses the aftermath of their son's death, and two additional letters to William S. Prentiss from William B. Lewis and Oliver Ambrose Batcheller, officers on the USS Monongahela, give additional details on Roderick's death. Three bound journals kept by Roderick document his service on the Plymouth, Portsmouth, and San Jacinto. Much of the information in these journals is as detailed as a ship's log, but although often signed by the ship's commander, they do not appear to be the official log for any of the vessels. The overland trail diary of William Prentiss documents his departure from LaGrange, Ind., and subsequent journey to the gold fields of Montana Territory. Prentiss traveled with several other men, following a route along the Platte River in present day Nebraska to Fort Laramie. From that point they veered northwest and followed the Bridger Trail from present day Caspar, Wyo., and through the Big Horn basin. After reaching the Yellowstone River they went through the Bozeman Pass and ended their journey at Virginia City. The diary records Prentiss's unsuccessful time searching for gold in Alder Gulch and his decision to return to Indiana after reading of his brother's death in a Salt Lake City newspaper. The route home followed the Virginia City-Salt Lake City trail to Soda Springs, and then southeast to Fort Bridger before again turning east across Nebraska. The diary describes travel companions and trail incidents in varying detail. The collection also includes transcriptions of Roderick's letters, some of his journals, and William's overland trail diary prepared in 1987 by his great-great granddaughter, Carol Opstad Jaeger. A single folder of miscellaneous documents, including an unidentified reminiscence by a Prentiss family descendant, is included.

ArchivalResource: 0.4 linear ft.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/682142393 View

Robert Wilson Shufeldt correspondence, 1871-1873

Title: Robert Wilson Shufeldt correspondence 1871-1873

This collection contains approximately 160 letters addressed to Robert Wilson Shufeldt as commander of U.S.S. Plymouth, dated August 7, 1871 to July 1, 1873. The letters are mounted in a folio scrapbook

ArchivalResource: .19 linear foot (1 volume)

http://archives.nypl.org/mss/2748 View

Wadsworth, John W. Papers, 1858.

Title: Papers, 1858.

The collection consists of seven letters written from Norfolk, Virginia, Key West, Florida, Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and Vera Cruz, Mexico to his mother, sister and brother. The letters describe conditions in Haiti (he is critical of the island), a visit to Cuba where he comments on the Spanish women he meets, the mission to protect American property at Tampico, Mexico and to rescue the American envoy John Forsyth in Vera Cruz, life aboard ship, his mess mates, catching a shark, and distaste for life at sea.

ArchivalResource: 7 items (1 folder)

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/46361948 View

Wheelwright, Charles Henry, 1813-1862. Charles Henry Wheelwright letters, 1824-1862; bulk: 1842-1862.

Title: Charles Henry Wheelwright letters, 1824-1862; bulk: 1842-1862.

A small collection of letters (1842-1862) written by Charles H. Wheelright (1813-1862), naval surgeon, to his nephew, Edward Wheelright. C. Wheelright entered the navy in 1839 as an assistant surgeon, was promoted to surgeon on 5 April 1854, and was in charge of the U.S. hospital in Pilottown, La, at the time of his death in 1862. Most of his letters were written while he served on numerous vessels including the U.S.S. Savannah, U.S.S. Powhatan, U.S.S. Plymouth, U.S.S. Saratoga; also letters written while he worked at the naval hospital in Pensacola, Fla., and while on leave in Boston. Two 1854 letters describe the activities of Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the U.S. delegation to Japan during the treaty negotiations that led to the opening of trade between the two countries, and the letters of spring 1862 include accounts of Civil War action along the Virginia coast. Letters also describe areas visited, ship maneuvers, on-board incidents, remedies, and comments on factors affecting the health of the crew. The collection also includes several pages of medical prescriptions.

ArchivalResource: 1 narrow box.

http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/43562807 View