Manuscripts & Ephemera
Our manuscripts include logbooks & journals, letters including naval, whaling and California Gold Rush. A variety of ephemera offered including broadsides and other printed associated material.
A0280 WHALING LOGBOOK OF THE SHIP JAPAN OF NANTUCKET TO THE PACIFIC, 1845 - 1849
Captain Valentine S. Riddell. Journal kept by Abisha Swain, boat steerer. 203 pages of daily entries covering the entire voyage, additional entries of ships seen and spoken, landfalls and ports visited, list of whales seen and taken and by which boat. Also a number of poems recorded. Numerous whale tail stamps which generally indicates lost whales, but in this case indicated whales taken. Written in clear script with occasional small illustrations of landfalls, ship and curiously, a drawing of the ship's bell.
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Accounts of floggings and desertions including 2 Kanakas: " lowered all three boats...succeeded in catching one saw nothing of the other he was probably taken by the sharks"
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Of importance: First hand account of the massacre of some of the crew of the Triton. The captain was lured ashore by a Spaniard who returned with natives. They killed the cooper and several others. The leader was killed. The Japan took Captain Spencer and the survivors to Hawaii.
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This massacre is well documented but in the published accounts, the JAPAN is not mentioned.
SOLD
A0279 WHALING LOG SLOOP DOLLAR AND EXCERCISE BOOK OF THOMAS KEMPTON 1763
" June, We got in again and ye 18 of June we went to sea from Nantucket and ye 21 of June we got one whale and ye 4 day of July we got one & 1/2 more and ye 9 day of July we got into Dartmouth....."
An important and one of the earliest American whaling logs extant, kept by Thomas Kempton from Mat 2 1763 to July 30 1763 on board the sloop "Dolan" (Dollar). The log is an abstract or a summery of the voyage, written on one page. During this period whaling voyages were very short not far from home post.
Thomas Kempton also served aboard the sloop Diamond of Nantucket in 1765 and also the sloop Myrad.
The rest of the manuscript is Kempton's navigation exercise book, consisting of 25 pages.
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The manuscript is relatively fragile: Some text is faded and difficult to read, Ragged edges with stains, yet an amazing survivor from the very beginning of American whaling. Housed in a clamshell box.
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A0272 ADMIRALTY ORDER BOOK OF HMS PELICAN 1806-1807
"....a state of the case of Wm. Faucett an American, on board His Majesty's sloop under your command: & if he has been impressed, when, where, by whom & from what vessel: or if he has been taken in any craft belonging to the enemy...
A significant manuscript with entries that prompted Britain and America to go to war in the War of 1812. This order book contains copies of orders received from the Admiralty to Captain William Ward of HMS Pelican. Among them are a few orders referring to Americans, including the one sighted. There is also entries regarding punishments and French prisoners.
The Pelican was captured from the French in the West Indies and Ward was put in command. Later she was engaged in the capture of Copenhagen and the war with Russia.
Consists of 28 pages with dates from June 1806 - Nov. 1807. Most of the book just has blank pages. Original pigskin covers.
$875
A0271 1808 EMBARGO ACT DOCUMENT
"....when our port are blockaded in time of peace, when our vessels are fired at & plundered, our citizens impressed into foreign service and even murdered within our own waters & upon our own shore."
$650
This significant document displays the outrage among the people in the United States which led to the War of 1812 and also accusing a party of their own countrymen of petitioning the President of the United States to repeal of the Embargo Act, but in reality of kindling sedition and rebellion.
The seditionists marched the militia to intimidate members of the Windham Ct meetinghouse to sign their petition. In effect to overthrow the government. Dated Brooklyn [Ct] May 12 1808
$600
A0270 WAR OF 1812 LETTER INDIAN ATTACKS DETROIT.
"The savages have committed numerous depredations on the inhabitants, but within our vicinity no unfriendly action hath been discovered"
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This letter dated March 1813 from Elijah Flint of Pembroke New York to his father write extensively about the Indian attacks on the inhabitants around Detroit. He mentions the dastardly General Hull who surrendered the fort to the British. The Indians felt emboldened and attacked American settlements
William Hull was court marshalled and sentenced to death but was commuted by President Madison because of his service in the Revolutionary War. See the link below:
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A0255 CIVIL WAR PERIOD DECK OF DE LA RUE PLAYING CARDS
This complete deck of playing cards, made by Thomas De La Rue 1793-1866, dates c.1865. Double ended courts, square corners with no indices and blue backs. De La Rue began making playing cards c.1832 and were greatly exported to the states. Lawrence & Cohen, New York used De La Rue printing plates to make their identical cards. Fine condition.
SOLD
A0250 CHARLES STEWART ALS TO SENATOR JOHN R. THOMPSON WITH PHOTO OF STEWART.
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Charles Stewart 1778 - 1869 Naval officer who commanded the frigate CONSTITUTION DURING THE War of 1812 when he captured the British frigates Cyane & Levant. At the time of this letter, he was in command of the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
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This letter dated September 14 1858, Stewart is responding to a complaint regarding workmen at the navy yard who have been dismissed. At the time the yard was building a number of new warships.
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Also included is a turn of the 19th century photo of Stewart
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$495
A0249. DAVID PORTER AUTOGRAPHED NOTE TO AMOS BINNEY.
David Porter 1780 - 1843 Famous Naval officer during the War of 1812. Commanded the frigate ESSEX off the coast of South America capturing British whalers. Was forced to surrender to HMS Phoebe & Cherub at Valparaiso.
Dated 1821 when Porter was Board of Navy Commissioners: Writes to Boston Navy Yard Agent Amos Binney regarding ship's cordage.
SOLD
A0218 HAWAIIAN NEWSPAPER THE FRIEND 1856 & 1857
The Friend published by Rev. Damon, began as a monthly newspaper for seamen in 1845, which included news of Hawaii and other Pacific Islands. Though a temperance paper, it included extensive news of the whaling industry and naval activity. Also ship arrivals and departures and a listing of marriages and deaths. Offered here are two years of 24 issues: 1856 and 57. They have been professionally preserved and mounted in a fine clamshell box. The issues are basically loose and have a mixture of conditions as seen. The December 1856 issue is missing the last leaf.
$875
A0094 LOGBOOK: FRIGATES BRANDYWINE & UNITED STATES 1830-33
This naval logbook begins with the frigate Brandywine under the command of E.P. Kennedy, but soon under James Biddle and Mathew C. Perry in the Mediterranean Squadron. Daily entries, some lengthy of naval content. James Dalgren of Civil War fame is
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mentioned as a midshipman. Among famous ships mention are the frigate Constitution and Constellation. No covers and the first few pages are rough with stains and corner losses but no loss to content.
SOLD
A0090. ROYAL NAVY PRIZE MONEY CERTIFICATE
These Prize Money certificates are quite scarce. They were issued to seaman on discharge so if they had any claim to prize money, they could claim it via these certificates.
This one was issued to Charles E Tennant of HMS Blenheim, 1841.
$350
A0082. BROADSIDE: FORT LEE BULL'S FERRY
Very rare 1830's broadside advertising the Bull's Ferry of the Fort Lee and New-York Steamboat Company. Steamboat John Jay, Captain Benson.
by J. Post, Printer, 101 John Street, near Pearl, New York. 12.75 x 7.75 in.
Professionally restored in upper righthand corner.
$325
A0099. CLIPPER SHIP FLYING CLOUD LETTER
This letter, dated Jan 1855 by Grinnell, Minturn & Co. to N. J. Rotch of New Bedford for shipping manila cordage, evidently to San Francisco as the Flying Cloud sailed for S.F. on the next voyage.
The Flying Cloud was the most famous and fastest sailing ship.
$95
A0097. CURRIER & IVES CIVIL WAR PRINT, 1862
Com. Farragut’s Fleet, Passing the Forts on the Mississippi, April 24th 1862. The U.S. Frigate Mississippi, destroying the rebel Ram Manassas, Currier & Ives.