Ames Sullivan Dorr (2 results)

None. Condition: None. Large Quarto (ca. 27x24 cm or 10 ¾ x 9 ½ in). With ca. 47 tipped-in and loosely inserted original autograph letters signed or manuscript documents of various size, from ca. 34x21 cm (13 ½ x 8 ¼ in) to ca. 8x19,5 cm (3 x 7 ¾ in). Brown ink or pencil on lined or wove paper; several with official printed letterheads ("Ordnance Office, U.S. Navy Yard," "Navy Department, Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting," "U.S. Naval Academy," &c.) or ink stamps ("Office of Commandant of Midshipmen, U.S. Naval Academy," "U.S. Navy Yard, New York, Commandant's Office"). With a tipped-in, hand-drawn "Plan, showing lockers on berth deck, U.S. Ship Constellation," ca. 19,5x42 cm (7 ¾ x 17 cm) and a tipped-in printed booklet of instructions to the crew of U.S.S. "Colorado" (10 pp.) with Ames's pencil inscription on the first page. Period dark green quarter sheep letter book with cloth boards; gilt-lettered title "Letters" on the spine. Paper label of "Improved Adhesive Letter and Invoice File, Asa L. Shipman, Manufacturer & Proprietor" attached to the inner side of the front cover. Binding rubbed and scratched, front cover detached from the stub, documents with occasional creases or tears on extremities; overall a good collection of historically significant original documents. Notebooks: ca. 1856-1860. Two Quarto and one Octavo notebooks, ca. 26x19,5 cm (10 ¼ x 7 ¾ in) and 21x17 cm (8 ¼ x 6 ¾ in). Brown ink and pencil on lined or wove paper; in all over 550 pp. of text; numerous sketches and drafts in text. Ames's name inscribed on the margins or endpapers. Period brown quarter sheep bindings with marbled papered boards; rubbed and scratched; spines and cracks and losses; front board of one of the notebooks with losses of marbled paper. Overall, good notebooks written in legible hand. Historically significant collection of original letters and documents, and some period copies, related to the maiden cruise of U.S.S. "Constellation", as a training ship of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, in June-September 1871. Built in 1854 at the Norfolk shipyard, she became the last sail-only warship designed and built by the U.S. Navy. "Constellation" served in the Mediterranean Squadron (1855-58), was the flagship of the Africa Squadron as a part of the African Slave Trade Patrol (1858-61) and blockaded Confederate vessels in the Mediterranean during the Civil War. In 1871, she became a training ship for the U.S. Naval Academy and served in this capacity for 22 years. She later delivered food and other supplies to Ireland during the 1879 Irish famine, took part in the centennial celebration of the creation of the U.S. national anthem in 1914 and the 150th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence (1926). "Constellation" became a National Historic Landmark (1963) and is now a museum ship, a part of the "Historic Ships in Baltimore" permanent exhibition.   The letter book provides insight into "Constellation's" first training cruise as a Naval Academy ship along the east coast of North America in the summer of 1871. Together with the U.S.S. "Saratoga," she departed Annapolis on June 17 and "visited Halifax, Cape Cod Bay, Portland, Maine, where the citizens gave them a ball, Gardner's Bay, New London, Long Island Sound, and Newport" (Cruise of the practice ships// The Evening Star. Washington, D.C., August 23, 1871, p. 1). The ships returned to Annapolis on September 27. The letter book was compiled by the ship's executive officer, Lieutenant Commander Sullivan D. Ames, a Civil War veteran. Most documents in the collection date back to April-June 1871, the time of the fitting of the ship and preparations for the cruise. Various documents regarding crew members include applications for the positions of "ship's yeoman" (from "William Farrard, Late Yeoman U.S.S. Delaware," "Robert Hardie," "Alfd. Erryl, Seaman"), letters of recommendation of "W. Stanten, one of our bakers who was out the last cruise of the Savannah" (May 26) and a ship's a blacksmith (June 3), a letter informing of the change of boatswain to "Charles Ogle" (May 26), an application of transfer from "Constellation" to "Saratoga" from "H. Michelson, Cdt. Mdn. 3rd class" (June 5), and a letter to the ship's Captain, Samuel P. Carter, asking him to "possibly get Willie [William Schurar] anything to do on either of the ships going out. He says he is willing to go in any capacity?" (June 5), with Carter's note with instructions on verso. A letter "to the officer of the deck, U.S.S. Constellation" from June 8 is supplemented with a "list of gentlemen" punished for "disobedience of orders," "using disrespectful language to officer of the day," and "turning out light in hall after being ordered not to." A letter from "Theo F. Juvell, Lt. Comdr." to Captain Carter "respectfully report[s] Cadet Midn. Fithian for smoking in the grounds and Cd. Midn. McCartney for leaving the Academic limits <?> without authority." There is also a copy of the order of Commodore John L. Warden, Superintendent of the Academy from May 26, regarding the punishment of "Midn. C.F. Craig for being guilty of the criminal folly of introducing a quantity of gunpowder into the Cadet Midshipmen's quarters, and of igniting the same, thereby seriously endangering a vast amount of public property" (with an ink stamp of "Office of Commandant of Midshipmen, U.S. Naval Academy"). The letter book also includes a large group of documents related to ordering various supplies and fitting the ship: letters from "Office of Inspector of Ordnance, U.S. Navy Yard, Norfolk, Va."; "Lieut. Commr. A.R. McNair, Rigging Loft Navy Yard, Norfolk" (regarding the "tracing of the Midn's lockers & their numbers," "the invoice of equipment stores &c. placed on board the Constellation," &c.); "Ordnance Office, U.S. Navy Yard" (about the number of Constellation's crew members); "Equipment Office, Ny. Yard, Norfolk" ("the ship has been almost rebuilt and all her boats fittings, &c. will be new. No ship in t.

None. Condition: None. Folio (ca. 34x20,5 cm or 13 ¼ x 8 in). Ca. 60 leaves (15 at the rear blank). Brown ink and pencil on lined paper, filled in on recto and verso; in all ca. 89 pp. of text. Original light brown quarter sheep journal with marbled papered boards. Covers with chipping on the lower outer corners, spine with cracks and minor losses, water stains on the lower corners on text pages; overall good journal with legible text. Copy of the letter from USS "Jamestown:" Sitka, Nov, 15th 1867. Folio (ca. 34,5x21 cm or 13 ½ x 8 ¼ in). Bifolium with manuscript text on rectos of both leaves. Brown ink on lined paper; docketed on verso of the second leaf. Fold marks, minor soiling on verso of the second leaf not affecting the text, otherwise very good. Appointment papers: Navy Department, 9 August 1866 and 30 January 1874. Both Quarto (ca. 25x20 cm or 9 ¾ x 7 ¾ in). Printed forms completed in manuscript; brown ink on wove paper; both with additional manuscript remarks on the upper margins. The 1874 form with an ink stamps of "Flag Ship Wabash, U.S. European Fleet" and dates on recto and verso. Fold marks, paper slightly age-toned, otherwise very good. An interesting collection of original documents related to the history of the formal transfer of Alaska from Russia to the United States and the first raising of the American flag over Sitka on October 18, 1867. The collection was created by a U.S. naval officer, Sullivan Dorr Ames and dates back to his service on board the U.S. steamer "Resaca" in 1866-1869. Commissioned in 1866, "Resaca" was assigned to the U.S. Pacific Squadron to relieve the USS "Jamestown" on its patrol of the Pacific coast of Mexico and Central America. While in port in Panama, both ships suffered the outbreak of yellow fever ("Jamestown" - 59 cases, 21 deaths, "Resaca" - 77 cases, 19 deaths) and in an attempt to reduce the spread of the disease, departed north in April 1867, staying on quarantine in San Francisco. Both ships joined the U.S. North Pacific Squadron under the command of Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher and went to Sitka in August 1867 to take part in the formal transfer of Alaska to the United States. During the ceremony on October 18th, "Resaca" fired a salute at the raising of the U.S. flag in front of the governor's residence (Transfer of Russian America// Daily Illinois State Journal. November 15, 1867, p. 1). She left Sitka for San Francisco in January 1868 with Princess Maksutov, wife of the last governor of Russian America, on board (Distinguished Arrival// The San Francisco Examiner. January 28, 1868, p. 3). The manuscript journal is a comprehensive collection of instructions and assignments for "Resaca's" crew members during her first Pacific voyage. It consists of the following parts: Watch Bill (crew members' shifts on forecastle, fore top, main top, afterguard, &c., lists of "petty officers & idlers," "marines," "firemen & coal heavers," &c.); Quarter Bill (lists of crew members of the "First Division," "Second Division," "Third & Powder Division," "Fourth & Masters Division," "Boarders, Pikemen", &c.); Station Bill (assignments of sail operations: "loosing & furling," "reefing & hoisting," "tacking & wearing," "mooring & unmooring," "getting underway & anchoring," &c.); Fire Bill (instructions to all crew members in case of fire on board, lists of people assigned to pumps); Muster Bill (lists of Officers - including "Lieut. Commr. S.D. Ames," Petty Officers, Seamen, Ordinary Seamen, Landsmen, Boys, Firemen & Coal Heavers, and Marines); and Boat Bill (lists of crew and corresponding flags of "Resaca's" lifeboat, launch, four cutters, and "dingy," text of the "General Orders for Armed Boats"). Twenty pages of pencil-drawn tables and lists provide more details on the operations with sails, "Officers' stations," and launch and cutters' crews. Several notes in the Muster Bill mention desertions or hospitalizations of "Resaca's" seamen, landsmen and firemen in 1866 and 1867 - in Pernambuco, Rio, Montevideo, or Valparaiso. The manuscript also contains a pencil drawing of "Resaca's" three masts (mizzen, main, and fore) with their exact measurements. The period copy of the letter, written in Sitka on November 15, 1867 (with a note "S.D. Ames, Lt. Commander" on the top margin of the first leaf), refers to some tensions between the executive officers of USS "Jamestown" and USS "Resaca." Written by "L. Barnes, acting ensign" of USS "Jamestown," who served as a caterer of the ship's wardroom mess (area where commissioned officers dined and socialized), the letter is addressed to "T.S. Gray," his counterpart on USS "Resaca." Barnes informs Gray that USS "Jamestown" "positively declines" to provide "mess & attendances" to "Resaca" as their stores are "provided sufficiently for our own necessities only, & which could not be replaced here." Barnes explains that if they had to purchase the necessary supplies themselves, "at from three to four times the cost <?> which purchased with our greenbacks (selling at 65 cts.) would make our pay realize to us not more than 10 cts. on a dollar. You on the contrary are paid in coin. We fail to appreciate the deficiency which would compel us to sacrifice our pay in this manner to your economy & convenience <?> Paragraph No. 83 of the Regulations cannot be made to subserve your interests. If yours even was a case of necessity, this ship is not the only place of refuge <?> The time you propose we should assist you while the "Resaca" is [painting?] you estimate from one month to five weeks or longer. Even if for a shorter period our objection is the same". The assistance to "Resaca" would result in the "interference with the proper discharge of our duties, the unnumerable annoyances & discomforts" and raise "sanitary considerations." The letter dates back to the time when both ships were stationed in Sitka shortly after the transfer of Alaska and showcase the realities of service on the U.S. naval ships in the early days of the.