WAR 1812 WIA/MEXICAN/CIVIL WAR NAVY MONITOR ADMIRAL CHILE CRUISE LETTER SIGNED
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| Reference Number: Avaluer:73322 | Modified Item: No |
| Country/Region of Manufacture: United States |
Joseph Smith(1790 - 1877)WAROF 1812 WIA NAVY 1st LIEUTENANT ABOARD THE BRIG “EAGLE”PARTICIPATING IN THE BATTLE OF LAKE CHAMPLAIN, WHERE HE WAS WOUNDED-IN-ACTION, ALGERIANWAR OFFICER IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON 1815-1816, MEXICAN-AMERICANWAR CAPTAIN OF THE FLAGSHIP “CUMBERLAND&CIVILWAR ADMIRALand CHIEF OF THE BUREAU OF YARDS and DOCKS APPOINTED BY PRESIDENT LINCOLNAdmiral Smith worked with JohnEricsson in the design of the revolutionary ironclad “Monitor”which confronted... the Confederate ironclad “Merrimack” in the historic Hampton RoadsCivil War naval battle!HERE’S A RARE, GOOD CONTENT, AUTOGRAPHLETTER SIGNED BY SMITH, 1p., DATED SEPT. 27, 1833, TO CHARLES HENRY DAVIS, SR.(1807 – 1877)CIVILWAR REAR-ADMIRAL & NAVAL SCIENTISTIN THIS LETTER, SMITH WISHES DAVIS APLEASANT OCEAN CRUISE, IN FULL:“…Hereare several letters which I hope may afford you some relief during a monotonouscruise in the Pacific. If you go to theCapitol of Chile you must not fail of going to Colina. I hope your cruise willbe a pleasant one, indeed I think you will start with a bright prospect of itsbeing so. I shall be happy to hear from you during your absence & at alltimes, pleasant gales, smooth sea, tight ship, good crew & a safe &happy return is the sincere wish of your friend in haste. Jos. Smith~”A RAREADDITION TO YOUR AMERICAN NAVAL HISTORY AUTOGRAPH, MANUSCIRPT & EPHEMERACOLLECTION!>>::<<Biography of Admiral SmithSmith, Joseph(30 March 1790–17 January 1877), navalofficer, was born in Hanover, Massachusetts, the son of Albert Smith andAnne Lentham Eels. Smith entered the navy as a midshipman in 1809 and wascommissioned a lieutenant in 1813. In the War of 1812 he was first lieutenantaboard the brig Eagle on 11 September 1814 in the battle of LakeChamplain, where he was wounded. He then served aboard the Constellationin the Mediterranean Squadron, 1815–1816, and cooperated in the capture ofseveral vessels during the Algerine War. In 1818 he married Harriet Bryant;they had four children.Over the next two decades Smith alternated between service in theMediterranean Squadron and service at the Boston Navy Yard. He served aboardthe Guerriere, 1828–1831, and as commander of the Ohio, theflagship of the squadron, 1838–1840. In 1845, with the rank of captain, Smithcommanded the Mediterranean Squadron, with the Cumberland as hisflagship.In 1846 Smith was appointed chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks. In1855 he was placed on the retired list, and he retired in 1861. However, hecontinued in the service for several years. In August 1861 President Abraham Lincoln appointed Smith, as chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docks, to the board that chose the designfor the Monitor. Smith worked with designer and inventor John Ericsson, who built theironclad in the remarkably short time of about three months. Secretary of theNavy Gideon Welles credited Smithmore than any other person in the Navy Department for the success of therevolutionary ship.During the Civil War, Smith’s son, Lieutenant Joseph Bryant Smith, commanded the Congress, which surrendered after being burned by theConfederate ironclad Virginia, the former Merrimack, on 8March 1862. On hearing the news, Captain Smith concluded that his son must havebeen killed, or the ship would not have surrendered. He was correct. The Monitorarrived in Hampton Roads later on the day of the destruction of the Congress.The next day the Monitor engaged the Virginia, which hadreturned to destroy the rest of the Union fleet there. After the famous battlebetween the two ironclads on 9 March 1862, which resulted in the Virginiawithdrawing, Smith was promoted to the rank of admiral on 16 July 1862. Nowwell into his seventies, he remained as chief of the Bureau of Yards and Docksthrough 1869 and then served as president of the Retiring Board, 1870–1871. Hedied in Washington, D.C.Smith is remembered partly for his active longevity, as he continued tomake contributions to his service after age eighty. However, his lasting famederived from another consideration. The Monitor-Virginia battlereceived close attention from contemporaries and continued to do so forhistorians. The battle was often assessed as having a revolutionary effect uponnaval ship design. As a consequence of the interest in minute details of thatencounter, Smith is remembered for the apparently ironic justice in the factthat the Monitor, the construction of which took place on his watch asbureau chief, defeated the ship that a day before had killed his son.Sourceson Smith include William Cogar, Dictionary of Admirals of the U.S. Navy(1989); American National Biography.>>::<<BIOGRAPHY OF ADMIRAL CHARLES HENRYDAVIS, SR.Charles Henry Davis, Sr., Civil War Union RearAdmiral. Born in Boston, Massachusetts, he was appointed midshipman in 1824, but because of his intelligence and an education that included 2 years atHarvard he qualified for a lieutenancy after only 3 years. He later completedhis degree at Harvard, and for much of his naval career devoted himself toscientific work important to the navy. On July 11, 1849, he became Superintendent of theNautical Almanac Office. In 1854 he received a promotion to Commander. Havingleft his duties at the NAC on November 23, 1856, he was now head of the Bureauof Detail in Washington D.C., when the Civil War began, helping to plan andorganize the South Atlantic Blockade and the expeditions against Hatteras Inletand Port Royal. During the latter expedition, he served as chief of staff andfleet officer to Flag Officer Samuel F. DuPont, contributing much to thesuccessful attack of November 7, 1861. Though he officially replaced Andrew H. Foote as flagofficer of the Mississippi flotilla on June 17, 1862, he had been in commandsince Foote's departure in May. On June 6 his flotilla, along with the rams ofColonel Charles Ellet, destroyed or captured all but 1 vessel of theConfederate River Defense Fleet during the Battle of Memphis, resulting in thesurrender of the city to him. Joining Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's forcebefore Vicksburg, he took a cautious approach to the Confederate ram Arkansas, which had passed through the Union fleet and reached the city. Farragut wanteda more aggressive flag officer, as did Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles. Infact, Welles regarded him as "more of a scholar than a sailor." OnOctober 1, 1862, Commodore David D. Porter was promoted to head a reorganizedMississippi Squadron. Assigned once again to Washington D.C., he resumed hisscientific studies. In February 1863 he was promoted to Rear Admiral andin that same year he became one of the founders of the National Academy ofSciences. He also was the author of the works: The Coast Survey of the UnitedStates and Narrative of the North Pole Expedition of the USS Polaris. On April 28, 1865, he became Superintendent of theNaval Observatory serving until May 15, 1867, and in his last duty serving inthe position again from February 23, 1874, until his death. In February 1911, he was honored with a statue at Vicksburg.Charles Henry Davis, Sr. Birth 16 Jan 1807 Boston, Suffolk County, Massachusetts, USA Death 18 Feb 1877 (aged 70) Washington, District of Columbia, District Of Columbia, USA Burial Cambridge Cemetery Cambridge, Middlesex County, Massachusetts Plot River Avenue, Lot 821 <<>::<>>
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I am aproud member of the Universal Autograph Collectors Club (UACC), The EphemeraSociety of America, the Manuscript Society and the American Political ItemsCollectors (APIC) (member name: John Lissandrello). I subscribe to eachorganizations' code of ethics and authenticity is guaranteed. ~Providingquality service and historical memorabilia online for over twenty years.~
WE ONLY SELL GENUINE ITEMS, i.e., NO REPRODUCTIONS, FAKES OR COPIES!
