A collection of 22 documents in 38 pages from the collection of Samuel B. Gregory, Acting Master, USS
Western World, 1861–1863. Documents span the period of October 1861 to October 1863. Most are official printed US Navy documents, plus two handwritten receipts and one set of handwritten notes. Twelve of the documents bear handwritten annotations by Gregory.
Samuel Bowden Gregory was a native of Marblehead, MA, (b. 1813). He died at the age of 71 in Essex, MA. Gregory, (along with his brother William), enlisted on October 3, 1861, and was commissioned into the US Navy as an Acting Master. He resigned over three years later on November 15, 1864. During the course of his service, Gregory commanded the USS
Western World, the USS
Perry and the USS
Potomska, with most of his service aboard the
Western World.
Gregory’s ship was attached to the North Atlantic, the South Atlantic and the East Gulf Blocking Squadrons at various times during the war. Much of his service was in maintaining the blockade off the coast of South Carolina. The
Western World was an 1856 screw steamer built at Brooklyn, NY and placed in service September 21, 1861. He sailed her to join the blockade at Port Royal, SC in January 1862. Their work in enforcing the blockade included repulsing Confederate Navy attack, seizing blockade runners, protecting Union facilities, burning enemy ships and installations, freeing slaves, and transporting troops and cavalry. The ship and captain also served in Georgia, Virginia, and other locations.
The documents include two sets of instructions, eight sets of Sailing Directions, seven General Orders, two receipts, and three Intelligence Reports on suspected vessels and their cargos. Both receipts and one of the Intelligence reports are handwritten; the others are professionally printed.
Notable documents include:
General Order No. 1 from S.F. DuPont issued October 1861 with eight directives outlining the general rules of conduct for the blockade;
A List of Suspected Vessels and handwritten notes spanning seven pages and showing intense British trade with the Confederate States in a variety of consumer goods and war materiel;
Numerous Sailing Directions issued by Chas. O. Boutelle, Commanding US Survey Steamer for the South Carolina and Georgia coastline;
A recapitulation of Blockade Instructions issued by Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy, in August 1862. The document presents four items outlining
instructions…restrictions and cautions to be observed by our Squadrons and cruisers;
General Orders Numbers 10 and 11 from Secretary Welles outlining that 200 Medals of Honor are to be created and awarded. The first 44 honorees are named;
A
Circular from Secretary of the Navy Welles from September 1862 announcing that
no distilled spirituous liquors shall be admitted on board of vessels of war except as medical stores… Fortunately for the somewhat rowdy crew of the
Western World,
The law does not include ale, beer, wine, or other liquors not distilled.
Condition
Paper varies in size with the documents. Many are folded to contain up to four pages on a single sheet. The documents are in excellent condition.