A small collection of papers relating to John E. Parkman's service in the U.S. Navy as a captain's clerk during the Civil War. Parkman's log of the U.S. brig Bainbridge, Thomas M. Brasher commander, was kept from 15 May 1861 - 31 Oct. 1862. The Bainbridge was sent to Aspinwall, Panama to protect California steamers carrying gold to New York from Confederate seizure. The log consists primarily of geographic coordinates, but also notes the capture of Confederate ships by the Bainbridge on cruises, most off Key West and Mobile. The collection also includes a pencil sketch by Parkman of Fort Fisher (Wilmington, N.C.), 1863-64; a list of ships in the North Atlantic Squadron; and drawings of the flags of the Eastern Gulf Blockading Squadron.
