At the beginning of the American Civil War, the Union Navy consisted of 7, 600 sailors, by 1863 that number had grown to 38, 000 and by war’s end in 1865 over 51, 000 men were serving on naval vessels enforcing the blockade of the new Confederate states ports and rivers. A large number of new recruits became the paramount focus to grow and sustain this new wartime naval force. Despite this the navy suffered throughout the war from a chronic and serious manpower shortage due to rapid expansion from 76 vessels in 1861 to six hundred and seventy in 1865.¹ One reason was naval service was never popular with the general public. Even at the onset of the war (25 May 1861) Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper admitted that “ the naval service is not popular with seaman, many eye the entrance to the rendezvous with suspicious and misgiving, and not a few hitch up their waistbands and turn their quid’s and themselves in another direction.”

1 The Journal of Negro History, vol. 32, no. 2, 1947,171, JSTOR, Aptheker, Herbert “The Negro in the Union Navy.” www.jstor.org/stable/2714852 Accessed 26 Jan. 2020

Prize money1863 Navy poster

In March 1863 the Civil War Military Draft Act was signed into law.² This act was deeply unpopular with the working classes in the large Eastern cities and made recruiting even more challenging. The law provided for exemptions by policies of substitution and commutation. These policies were controversial as they allowed drafted citizens to opt out of service by either furnishing a suitable substitute to take the place of the draftee or paying $300 or the equivalent at the time to approximately $55,812.20 for an unskilled worker in 2020.³ Both provisions were created with the intention of softening the effect of the draft on pacifists, the anti-draft movement and the propertied classes. The result however was general public resentment of both policies. The two practices were major points of contention among the general public and led directly to the slogan "rich man's war, poor man's fight." The New York City draft riots in July 13-16, 1863, known at the time as “Draft Week”, were violent disturbances in Lower Manhattan, widely regarded as the culmination of white working-class discontent with new laws passed by Congress that year to draft men to fight in the ongoing American Civil War. The riots remain the largest civil and most racially-charged urban disturbance in American history.⁴ About 1,200 to 1,500 men, mostly Irish dockworkers, rioted against the Civil War draft in New York City in a four-day upheaval, targeting black workers and citizens. To suppress the riot martial law was declared and the New York 7th Regiment was recalled from Gettysburg.⁵ The number of fatalities is unclear, but reports fluctuate between 100 to over 1,000. It remains the most significant insurrection by civilians in American history.⁶

2 The law was officially known as “The Enrollment Act”, 12 Stat. 731, enacted March 3, 1863, was also known as "The Civil War Military Draft Act or the Draft".

3 https://www.measuringworth.com/calculators/uscompare/relativevalue.php

4 David M. Barnes "The Draft Riots in New York, July 1863: The Metropolitan Police, Their Services During Riot" (Baker & Godwin New York 1863) 5–6, 12 https://archive.org/details/draftriotsinnew01barngoog/page/n6/mode/2up

5 Prologue Magazine, Winter 1994, Vol. 26, No. 4 Genealogy Notes, Michael T. Meier “Civil War Draft Records: Exemptions and Enrollments” https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/1994/winter/civil-war-draft-records.html accessed 30 January 30, 2020

6 JSTOR Daily 4 May 2017, Shannon Lauder –Manuel “Race and Labor in the 1863 New York City Draft Riots”
https://daily.jstor.org/race-and-labor-in-the-1863-new-york-city-draft-riots/

“No Irish” New York Daily Tribune, 14 May 1852, p.1

Staffing an enlarged Union fleet strained all operations. The answer was ever more recruits, consequently immigrants by 1861 from foreign countries were essential and by 1865 they made up 45 % of the Navy. In 1863 to attract recruits, naval recruiting posters emphasized that those signing on with the navy could avoid the odious draft by signing for as little as 12 months, be eligible for prize money and take a three month advance on their pay. These inducements were popular with unemployed men who needed ready cash to take care of family or financial obligations. In “Enlistments at Boston in 1863”, the report for the second week of July (page 363 below) reflects the recruiter enumerated 39 recruits, 19 of whom are unemployed or 49% by a line drawn thus ------------- , through the occupation column. The lure of food and shelter was also alluring particularly in times of economic distress. Boston Naval Rendezvous like its New York City counterpart was located on or near the waterfront. Naval Rendezvous's (recruiting offices) were deliberately located where there were plenty of potential recruits, especially fishermen and merchant seamen, and always near bars. Some were located in "hotels" which served merchant and naval sailors when ashore as temporary lodging and drinking establishments. In these businesses, "runners" or "crimps" both male and female could entice the recruit with promises of a one year enlistment, three months advance pay, and the possibilities of prize money. Runners were typically payed a commission for each recruit of $ 3.00 per head. Runners and crimps often ensnared seaman for a bounty or fee. Many of the crimps operated out of boarding houses while others owned them. Crimps and the proprietor, often one and the same, dispensed liquor to the unwary seamen or landsmen at over- charged rates. This meant the debt could only be paid directly from the recruit signing the enlistment papers and signing over his three months advance wages at eighteen dollars per month for able seaman, fourteen dollars for ordinary seaman, and ywelve dollars for a landsmen, given up to the crimp and tavern owner. Once the men had signed their enlistment papers, they were taken to the receiving ship USS Ohio. A receiving ship is a vessel specifically used to house newly recruited sailors before they are assigned to a ship's crew. In addition, the new recruits once on board the receiving ship were outfitted with naval uniforms, underwear, a pea-jacket, a mattress and two blankets for which they were charged a total of $31.27. This amount was deducted from their future pay at regular intervals.

On board the USS Ohio, a large former ship of the line, all the men were given medical exams. While being processed on the receiving ship, the new recruits were carefully guarded by a small company of Marines less they desert. Since the USS Ohio was anchored in the middle of Boston harbor, it was difficult to get off the ship without being detected, and most seamen of the era simply did not know how to swim.*

* Bruce A. Castleman Knickbocker "Commodore the Life and Times of John Drake Sloat 1781 -1867" (State University of New York Press: Albany 2016), 126 -128) I have changed the various naval pay rates to reflect those of 1863.

Scholar Michael J. Bennet in Union Jacks Yankee Sailors in the Civil War found that the average Civil War Union sailor recruit was 26 years of age. Second, most of these were from the Atlantic coast and the Eastern states which produced more sailors owing to their maritime trade. Third, the large urban areas of New York City, Philadelphia and Boston produced the most recruits. Fourth, sailors were overwhelmingly city dwellers with only 3% having worked as farmers or farm laborers, unlike soldiers nearly half of whom had worked on farms before the war. Fifth, 45% of all Civil War naval recruits were immigrants vs. 25% for all army recruits.

Civil War Unidentified Sailor, Library of Congress

The Irish were by far the largest group of immigrants with slightly over 20% of all naval recruits from the Emerald Isle. The Irish and other foreign-born sailors preferred these one-year terms because they offered a recruit a chance to try out the navy and make some money and ease the assimilation into their new country.⁷ In our small sample (transcribed below) of 39 recruits 11 of them were born in Ireland. Still other seamen were the sons of Irish immigrants, such as Benjamin W. Chase (no.12) of Massachusetts who had the Irish harp tattooed on his left forearm.

7 Michael J. Bennett "Union Jacks: Yankee Sailors in the Civil War" (University of North Carolina Press: Chapel Hill 2011), 11

The immigrant presence was highly visible on nearly every ship in the navy, but on some it was particularly strong. A crewman on the famous ironclad Monitor wrote that “on a crew of 40 there is only 8 of us American born.”⁸ Many of the Irish had arrived in the United States as a result of the potato famine of 1845-1849.⁹ As largely impoverished Catholic immigrants, the newly-arrived Irish often faced outright hostility and job discrimination.¹⁰ Such prejudice against the Irish was long standing. As early as 1828, a job notice proclaimed “No Irish need apply”. The large influx of Irish immigrants due to the Potato Famine meant such notices appeared in the wanted columns of the large urban newspapers such as Boston and New York City with greater frequency.¹¹ During the next fifty years employers openly discriminated against the Irish often openly pitting them against blacks. Nevertheless, the Civil War manpower shortage meant the naval hierarchy needed able-bodied Irish men to enlist if the Union was to win. Despite this reality many, such as Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V. Fox, still retained strong anti-Irish preconceptions. In 1864 though writing to Rear Admiral Samuel Lee, Fox signaled his reluctant assent, “We are beginning to get a few sailors in New York…. [W]e must have the 12,000 [new] sailors. The 1,000 potato diggers [Irish] are extra, and taken because we won’t refuse any human being physically sound.”¹²

8 Bennett, Ibid, 8-9; quoting ORN 9:589 Fox to Lee

9 Christine Kinealy "The Great Calamity: The Irish Famine 1845 -1852" (Gill and McMillan: Dublin 1995) 5, 357

10 Rebecca A. Fried (2015) "No Irish Need Deny: Evidence for the Historicity of NINA Restrictions in Advertisements and Signs" Journal of Social History 48. Accessed 30 January 2020

11 See the Evening Post, New York, New York 8 September 1828, p.3. Job notice stated “Wanted – a woman to cook, wash and Iron for a small family. She must produce good recommendation, or need not apply. Enquire at 297 ½ Broadway. To save trouble no Irish need apply.”

A second notice announced for a housekeeper and cook stated– “an American or English woman would be preferred; no Irish need call.”

12 Bennett, Ibid 9

Another key component to Union victory was the recruitment of African Americans. From the spring of 1861 through the fall of 1864, the percentage of black men increased steadily from a starting point of less than 5% to a peak of 23%. On our small sample drawn from just a single page four men, or 10% of the whole were described as “negro’ or mulatto” By the fall of 1865 after most wartime volunteers had been discharged, black men still constituted 15% of the enlisted force, more than three times the percentage of black men in service at the start of the war.¹³

13 Prologue Magazine, NARA, Fall 2001, Vol. 33, No. 3, Joseph P. Reidy “Black Men in Navy Blue during the Civil War” https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/fall/black-sailors-1.html

African American Unidentified Sailor
Library of Congress Collection

Although the Navy Department did not establish a formal system of racial separation during the Civil War, Secretary Welles' guidelines for recruiting and rating black sailors nearly accomplished exactly that. For wittingly or not, the policy reinforced the prejudices of recruiters, naval officers and white enlisted men to the effect that black enlistees would contribute to the war effort as laborers and servants rather than as skilled seamen. Of the approximately 17,600 men whose base rating is recorded, more than 14,400 (or 82%) were rated as boy or landsman. This discounting of black men's seafaring skill at times plagued even the most experienced of men. For several of his many enlistments, James Forten Dunbar, (no.22) nephew of the prominent Philadelphia sailmaker and abolitionist James Forten, was rated on occasion a landsman rather than seaman, to which his three decades of naval service more than entitled him.¹⁴

14 Reidy, Ibid, Part 2, https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/fall/black-sailors-2.html

More than 50,000 British citizens served in various capacities in the American Civil War.₁₅ James A. Battye (no.2) age 21, was a shoemaker who enlisted as a landsman in July 1863 and is our sole English representative. Between 33,000 and 55,000 men from British North America enlisted in the war, almost all of them fighting for Union forces.¹⁶ Our small sample includes two seafarers from Canada, James Butler (no.8) and Patrick Hickey (no. 32).

15 Smithsonian Magazine, 9 December 2011, Megan Gambino, “The Unknown Contributions of Brits in the Civil War” https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-unknown-contributions-of-brits-in-the-american-civil-war-2478471/

16 John Boyko, "Blood and Daring: How Canada Fought the American Civil War and Forged a Nation" (2013)

Despite the Hawaiian government's reluctance to be involved in the conflict, many Native Hawaiians and Hawaii-born Americans (mainly descendants of the American missionaries) both abroad and in the islands, volunteered and enlisted in the military regiments of various states in the Union and the Confederacy. Individual Native Hawaiians had been serving in the United States Navy and Army since the War of 1812, and even more served during the American Civil War. Many Hawaiians sympathized with the Union because of Hawaii's ties to New England through its missionaries and the whaling industries, and the ideological opposition of many to the institution of slavery which the Constitution of 1852 had specifically officially outlawed in the Kingdom. Two mariners on this list of recruits are from the Sandwich Island’s. These Hawaiian sailors are enumerated as John Davis (no. 21) and Samuel Jones (no. 36), both men described as born in the Sandwich Islands and described as a “Sandwich Islander”.¹⁷

17 Jeffrey Allen Smith, (August 13, 2013), "The Civil War and Hawaii", The New York Times: Opinionator. New York.

Crew of the USS Miami, Naval Historical Center

The rendezvous reports of the recorded men's enlistment data shows the years of prior naval service irregularly, in some cases omitting it or in other cases including time at sea in civilian vessels. At the start of the war when prior service was recorded, the service credited was years of naval service as such and not simply years of experience at sea. In any case, the reports of prior service significantly underestimate the amount of sea experience the recruits brought into the navy.¹⁸

18 Reidy, Ibid Part 3, note 7 https://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/fall/black-sailors-3.html

Definitions of Naval Ratings

Boy: In the early navy young boys were just that they were young males, typically between thirteen and seventeen years of age. These young sailors in training were to be instructed in steering, heaving the lead, knotting and splicing, in rowing, in the use of the palm and needle, etc., that they might become qualified for higher rating as seamen and petty officers. During combat they ran powder to the guns, a critical but dangerous task. Most boys were usually rated as ordinary seaman at age 17 or 18. Boys were subdivided into three ratings: first, second and third with corresponding and increasing wages of $8, $9 and $10 per month.

John F.W. Mitchell. Mitchell enlisted in March 1865 and served on the frigate USS Sabine which was part of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron.
His Naval Enlistment Rendezvous record indicates he enlisted in the US Navy in 1865 at the age of 14,
assuming the rank of 3rd Class boy or apprentice. Mitchell was born in New York City, stood 4" 8" tall,
had hazel eyes, and a mole on his right knee. Library of Congress.

Landsman: Abbreviated “Lds.” Landsmen was the lowest rank of the United States Navy in the 19th and early 20th centuries; it was given to new recruits with little or no experience at sea and typically men were over seventeen years of age. Landsmen performed menial and unskilled work aboard ship, like loading and offloading ships, and did most of the cleaning. A Landsman who gained three years of experience or re-enlisted could be promoted to Ordinary Seaman. The rank existed from 1838 to 1921. Promotion from landsman to ordinary seaman required three years of experience or re-enlistment. The rate of pay for landsman during the Civil War was $12 per month.

Ordinary Seaman: “O.S.” Ordinary seaman was the second-lowest rank of the 19th century United States Navy, ranking above landsman and below seaman. An ordinary seaman’s duties aboard ship included handling and splicing lines, and working aloft on the lower mast stages and yards.

Seaman: ‘Sea.’ A Seaman was an experienced mariner with usually four or more years work at sea. A seaman was expected to “know the ropes”, that is the name and use of every line in the ship’s rigging and could be promoted to seaman. The seaman was expected to have expert knowledge of the various battle stations, armament and small boat handling. The rate of pay for seamen during the Civil War was $18 per month

Coal heavers: came into service in 1842 and hauled coal from a ship’s bunker to the boiler furnaces. A coal heaver could make up to 50 trips a day with a full bucket weighing about 140 pounds. Since it was hot, dirty and dangerous work, the members of the “black gang” received substantially higher pay than other sailors. In 1893 the rating was changed to the less strenuous sounding (but probably equally backbreaking and dirty) coal passer. The duties were incorporated into the rating of fire 3c in 1917.

Petty Officers: Petty officer of the line ratings included boatswain's mate, gunner's mate, captain of the forecastle, quartermaster, quarter gunner, captain of the maintop and captain of the foretop, captain of the hold, captain of the mizzen-top, coxswain and captain of the afterguard. Petty officer of the staff ratings included master-at-arms, yeoman, surgeon's steward, paymaster's steward, master of the band, schoolmaster, ship's corporal, armorer, painter, carpenter's mate, sailmaker's mate, fireman first class, cooper, armorer's mate, steward and cook.

Fireman: Established 1842 with the first naval steam vessels, pay grades 1c and 2c established 1847; pay grade 3c established 1917. Reestablished as Fireman 1948, Fireman 3c changed to Fireman Recruit 1948; Fireman 2c changed to Fireman Apprentice 1948. Firemen took care of the operation of ship boilers and controlled the fires in the boilers which produced the steam to propel the vessel. Many firemen had some experience with blacksmithing and used similar tools.

Transcription: The transcription of "Enlistments at Boston 1863 (Naval Rendezvous) was made from digital images for the week ending July 11th. The original is part of the collection of the National Archives and Records Administration, Washington, D.C. RG24, Entry 219 (Naval Rendezvous Boston) 18W4; 14/2/14, P. 363, Volume 27. In transcribing these certificates, I have striven to adhere as closely as possible to the original in spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and abbreviation, superscripts, etc., including the retention of dashes and underlining found in the original. A line drawn thus ----------------- thorough the occupation column signifies unemployed. Racial designations such as "mulatto," “black,” etc., are those used in the original documents.

John G. Sharp, 28 January 2020

* * * * * * * * * *

 

Enlistments at Boston in 1863
(click image to enlarge)

Summary of the data collected by the U.S. Naval Rendezvous at Boston Massachusetts from page 363, for 39 recruits in the week ending Saturday July 11th 1863. This summary was necessary for the original contain numerous abbreviations and sections difficult to transcribe into spread sheet due to format limitations.

1. Ainsworth, Joseph M. Previous service 6 years, enlisted for one year, rating 2nd class fireman, occupation machinist, born: Catskill New York. Description: age 27, blue eyes, hair dark, complexion dark, 5’ 8 ¾ inches tall [tattoos and marks], tumor back of neck, right arm Liberty, ship, right arm a crucifix, left forearm Liberty.¹⁹

19 Joseph M. Ainsworth, AKA Joseph M. Eainsworth, first enlisted as an ordinary seaman on 12 January 1857 in New York City. He reenlisted as an ordinary seaman on 11 May 1858 in New York City. See Weekly return of enlistments at Naval Rendezvous ("Enlistment Rendezvous"), Jan. 6, 1855-Aug. 8, 1891. The U.S. pension index shows Ainsworth served on the USS Boxer, USS Ohio and USS Tristam Shandy. He later drew a pension for injury he also used the alias Michael J .O’Connell.

2. Battye James A. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation shoemaker, born England. Description age 21, grey eyes, black hair, complexion ruddy

3. Boyan, Robert Previous service none, enlisted for two years, rating landsman, occupation -------- born New Bern N.C. Description: age 19, Negro, height 5’ 9 1/3²⁰

20 Robert Boyan reenlisted and served on both the USS Wabash and USS North Carolina see NPS Civil War Soldier and Sailor web page, https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-sailors-detail.htm?sailorId=BOY0001

4. Burns, Patrick Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating Landsman, occupation ----------- born Ireland. Description: age 25, eyes hazel, hair black, complexion ruddy, height 5’9’’ 3/8 [tattoos] crucifix, eagles P. Burns, forearm, U.S. arms left forearm

5. Burrill, Cyrus W. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating 1st class fireman, occupation painter, born Lahina Me. Description: age 33, hair light, eyes blue, complexion florid Physical marks: long scar right forearm – [tattoo] O.W.B. U.S. arms 1830 left forearm.²¹

21 Burrill , Cyrus W. is enumerated in the Civil War Draft Registration, State of Maine, Middleton and Norfolk Counties dated 19 June 1863, Volume 1, p.17 line 7, as Burrill, Cyrus, age 33, occupation painter, married, and he is described as having "heart disease." Nonetheless Burrill signed as Landsman USN and survived the war.

Burrill Cyrus W. was also listed on the 1880 U.S. Census for Hannibal, Marion County, Missouri, as age 50 , occupation painter married wife Annie. There is a 1901 death notice for him at age 71.

6. Burpee, Herman H. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating seaman, occupation -----------, born Rockland Maine. Description: age 38 eyes grey, hair dark, complexion light, height 5’ 6 ½

7. Bruce, Solon N. Previous Service none, enlisted for one year, rating fireman 1st class, occupation engineer, born Saugus Mass Description: age 20, eyes hazel, hair dark, complexion dark, [tattoo]“S.B. & S.L” left forearm²²

22 Solon Bruce served on the USS Princeton, USS Ohio and USS Wabash. The 1860 USS Census for Malden, Massachusetts, listed the 16 year old Solon as a mariner. The 1880 Civil War pension files index listed Bruce’s mother Phebe Bruce as applying for a pension under his war service. Her request was denied.

8. Butler, James Previous service four years, enlisted for one year, rating seaman occupation rigger, born Québec Canada Description: age 33, eyes blue, hair sandy, complexion ruddy, height 5’7 ½ [tattoo] crucifix right forearm, roses and 2 females left forearm

9. Caird, William J Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation shoemaker, born Danvers, Massachusetts Description: age 21, eyes grey hair, black, complexion dark, height 5’4’’

10. Callahan, John Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation blacksmith, born Ireland. Description: age 26, eyes grey, hair auburn, complexion florid, height 5’ 9’’

11. Carroll, Thomas Previous service nine, and 2/3 years, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation blacksmith, born Ireland. Description: age 26, eyes grey, hair dark, complexion dark, height 5’ 9’’pock marked, scar over right eye, 4th finger left hand somewhat injured, [tattoos] right forearm crucifix and female , left forearm “Harps of Erin &c”

12. Chase, Benjamin w. Previous service one year, enlisted for one year, rating seaman, occupation ---------, born Newbury port Massachusetts Description: age 22 years, eyes, grey, hair brown, complexion light, height 5’ 6’’[ tattoos] “B.W.& B.C., 2 hearts, right arm “eagle & bracelet”, right forearm “U.S. arms”, left forearm and “a Harp left forearm”

13. Collins, William H. Previous service one and ½ years, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation carpenter, born Kittery Maine. Description: age 29, eyes, blue, hair brown, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 8’’

14. Congdon, William B Previous Service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation machinist, born East Greenwood, Rhode Island . Description: age 26, eyes blue, hair brown, complexion light, height 5’ 5’’ and ¼.

15. Conlin, John No previous service, enlisted for one year, rating landsman , occupation -------, born Ireland. Description: age 21, eyes, hazel, hair black, complexion dark

16. Connolly, Thomas Previous service two years, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation puddler, born Ireland. Description: age 20, eyes grey hair auburn, complexion light, height 5’ 6 ¼, pox marked.²³

23 Thomas Connolly ordinary seaman USN reenlisted at Boston Naval Rendezvous 26 August 1864 for three years. At that time he had a crucifix on his left forearm and a star on his right forearm

17. Connors, Jerry previous service two years, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation puddler, born Ireland.²⁴ Description: age 20, eyes grey hair auburn, complexion light, height 5’ 4 ¼

24 Puddler/Puddling was one step in one of the most important processes of making the first appreciable volumes of high-grade bar iron during the Industrial Revolution. In the original puddling technique, molten iron in a reverberator furnace was stirred with rods, which were consumed in the process.

18. Cooper, William previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman born Ireland, occupation ----------. Description: age 26, eyes hazel hair dark, complexion florid scar left forearm

19. Crowe, Dennis previous service none, enlisted for one year, occupation ----------, Description: age 23, eyes hazel, hair black, complexion florid, height 5’9’’ scar left side

20. Currier, Philander O. previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating seaman, occupation coach - maker, born Gloucester Massachusetts. Description: age 29, eyes blue, hair red, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 9 1/8

21. Davis, John previous service enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation -------, born Sandwich Islands. Description: age 23, height 5’ 5 ¼ Sandwich Islander.²⁵

25 John Davis and Samuel Jones are both listed as born in the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) and described as Sandwich Islanders. As of 2014, researchers have identified 119 documented Native Hawaiian and Hawaii-born combatants from historical records. The exact number still remains unclear because many Hawaiians enlisted and served under Anglicized names and little is known about them due to the lack of detailed records. Chelsea Davis, (October 26, 2014). "Hawaiian Civil War soldier finally recognized" Hawaii News

22. Dunbar, James F. Pervious service 37 years, enlisted for three years, rating seaman , born Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Description: age 63, mulatto, height 5’ 5'' and ¼ inches tall, occupation sail maker,[ tattoos] right arm ship, right forearm mermaids, left arm man & woman, left forearm family group.²⁶

26 James F. Dunbar see Christopher McKee "Ungentle Goodnights: Life in a Home for Elderly and Disabled Naval Sailors and Marines and the Perilous Seafaring Careers that Brought Them There" (Naval Institute Press: Annapolis 2018), 108-120 and John G. Sharp, "American Seamen’s Protection Certificates & Impressment 1796-1822" http://www.usgwarchives.net/va/portsmouth/shipyard/aspc&i.html

23. Dwight, Samuel Previous service none, enlisted for three years, rating 1st class fireman, occupation blacksmith, born Charlestown Massachusetts. Description: age 29, eyes grey, hair dark, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 4 7/8

24. Edwards, James Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation fireman, born Ireland. Description: age 22, eyes grey, hair black, complexion dark, height 5’ 7 7/8

25. Emerson, Richard J. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation shoemaker, born Norfolk Virginia. Description age 26, eyes grey, hair black, complexion dark, height 5’ 4 ¾, has lost end of left index finger, [tattoos] forearm right eagle, left arm female.

26. Gafney, Thomas Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsmen, occupation --------------, born New York City. Description: age 24, eyes blue, hair black, complexion ruddy

27. Gallagher, John Previous service none, enlisted for one year rating, landsman, occupation --------, born Ireland. Description: age 21, eyes grey, hair brown, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 7 ¼.²⁷

27 John Gallagher: On 30 July 1864 at Boston Naval Rendezvous, John Gallagher reenlisted for three years as a 2nd class fireman

28. Gardner, Edward G. Previous service 1/6 year, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation shoemaker, born Roxbury Massachusetts. Description: age 25, eyes blue, hair dark, complexion ruddy height 5’ 4 ¼ [tattoos] right forearm Schooner & U.S. arms left forearm E.G. two hearts & liberty

29. Gones, Shad Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, born Washington D.C. occupation -------- Description age 23, Negro , height 5’ 7 ¾²⁸

28 Shad Gones: Shad Gones served on the USS Howquah through September 1864 (see NPS Civil War Soldier and Sailor web page https://www.nps.gov/civilwar/search-sailors-detail.htm?sailorId=GON0001 Early morning 7 May 1864 Howquah and five other blockaders engaged Confederate ironclad ram CSS Raleigh and drove her back toward the harbor to run aground and "break her back" while attempting to cross the bar to safety. On 25 September, while chasing and firing on blockade runner CSS Lynx, Howquah was caught in a cross fire from Fort Fisher and from "friendly guns" on two other Union ships, USS Governor Buckingham and USS Niphon. In this operation one of her bluejackets was killed and four others were wounded, but her hull was not seriously damaged. CSS Lynx ended up on the beach totally destroyed by fire.

30. Grayson, John Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, born Providence Rhode Island Description age 28, mulatto, height 5’ 7 ¼ scar on both hips

31. Gerard, Nelson P. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, born Richmond Vermont. Description age 18, eyes hazel, hair, brown, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 5 ¼

32. Hickey, Patrick Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation ware worker born Montreal Canada. Description: age 19, eyes grey, hair brown, complexion light height 5’ 7’’ [tattoos] mermaid right forearm, P. H. left forearm

33. Holt, Levi Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation -----------, born Bernard Vermont. Description: age 27, eyes grey, hair brown, complexion dark, height 5’ 7 ¼

34. Hudson, John Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating coal heaver, occupation ----------, born Portsmouth New Hampshire. Description age 22, eyes hazel, hair black, complexion dark, height 5’ 5 ¼

35. Jackson, John Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating 2nd class fireman, occupation machinist, born Ireland. Description: age 35, eyes hazel, hair black, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 6 ¼ scar left thigh.

36. Jones, Samuel: Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating ordinary seaman, occupation ----------, born Sandwich Islands. Description: age 25, Sandwich Islander height 5’ 8 ¾²⁹

29 Samuel Jones, ordinary seaman USN, reenlisted the following year on 6 July 1864 at the Naval Rendezvous, New Bedford, Massachusetts. Jones is listed as born in Sandwich Islands at Wahoa, age 25, eyes black, hair black straight and “coffee colored”.

37. Kemp, Edwin L. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating seaman, occupation ----------, born St. Albans Vermont. Description: age 22, eyes blue, hair light, complexion ruddy, height 5’ 5 1/8 [tattoo] sailor left arm. Edwin L. Kemp  reenlisted  in Philadelphia Pennsylvania on 7 July 1864 for three years as a Seaman. Kemp received a 60 dollar bounty for signing again, he is listed as having a tattoo  described as "coat of arms on breast".

38. Ketchup, John W. Previous service none, enlisted for one year, rating landsman, occupation ---------, born Nova Scotia Description: age 20, eyes grey, hair dark, complexion dark, height 5’ 6 1/8

39. Killin, John Previous service one and ½ years, enlisted for one year, rating seaman, occupation ---------, born Ireland. Description: age, 23, eyes, hazel, hair brown, complexion dark, height 5’ 5 ¾ [tattoo] “J.K.”, right forearm³⁰

30 John Killin first entered the US Navy at the New York City Naval Rendezvous on 20 January 1862. He later served aboard the USS Dan Smith on the Mississippi where he contacted intermittent fever and was admitted to Norfolk Naval Hospital on 1 August 1862 and returned to duty 18 December 1862 .During his service aboard the schooner USS Dan Smith, it joined in the bombardment and capture of Fort Jackson and Fort St. Philip from 18 to 24 April 1862; the schooner also took part in the passage of the batteries at and shelling of Vicksburg, Mississippi, from 26 June to 5 July 1862, and had frequent encounters with other enemy shore batteries.

Receiving Ship USS Ohio, Boston Harbor 1860s
Getty Museum (public domain)

 

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John G. "Jack" Sharp resides in Concord, California. He worked for the United States Navy for thirty years as a civilian personnel officer. Among his many assignments were positions in Berlin, Germany, where in 1989 he was in East Berlin, the day the infamous wall was opened. He later served as Human Resources Officer, South West Asia (Bahrain). He returned to the United States in 2001 and was on duty at the Naval District of Washington on 9/11. He has a lifelong interest in history and has written extensively on the Washington, Norfolk, and Pensacola Navy Yards, labor history and the history of African Americans. His previous books include African Americans in Slavery and Freedom on the Washington Navy Yard 1799 -1865, Morgan Hannah Press 2011. History of the Washington Navy Yard Civilian Workforce 1799-1962, 2004. 
https://www.history.navy.mil/content/dam/nhhc/browse-by-topic/heritage/washington-navy-yard/pdfs/WNY_History.pdf
and the first complete transcription of the Diary of Michael Shiner Relating to the History of the Washington Navy Yard 1813-1869, 2007/2015 online:
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/d/diary-of-michael-shiner.html
His most recent work includes Register of Patients at Naval Hospital Washington DC 1814 With The Names of American Wounded From The Battle of Bladensburg 2018,
https://www.history.navy.mil/research/library/online-reading-room/title-list-alphabetically/r/register-patients-naval-hospital-washington-dc-1814.html
The last three works were all published by the Naval History and Heritage Command. John served on active duty in the United States Navy, including Viet Nam service. He received his BA and MA in History from San Francisco State University. He can be reached at sharpjg@yahoo.com

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Norfolk Navy Yard Table of Contents

Birth of the Gosport Yard & into the 19th Century

Battle of the Hampton Roads Ironclads

The Norfolk Navy Yard into the 20th Century

Image Index