Committee of Reception to the Crews of the Frigates Cumberland and Congress.

On March 8, 1862, the ironclad Confederate ship Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack ) attacked and destroyed the USS Cumberland and USS Congress at Hampton Roads, Virginia. Responding to the human casualties of this encounter, efforts were made in New York City to raise funds to contribute to the relief of crew members or surviving family. A Committee of Reception to the Crews of the Frigates "Cumberland" and "Congress" was formed to arrange an April 1862 reception at the Academy of Music in New York for officers and crew members. Money raised from tickets and donations were distributed for a time after the event. (See New York Times article "Honor to our brave tars," April 11, 1862.)

From the guide to the Committee of Reception to the Crews of the Frigates "Cumberland" and "Congress" records, Bulk, 1862, 1862-1869, (Brooklyn Historical Society)

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