Andrew H. Foote
A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress
Prepared by Audrey Walker Revised by Patrick Kerwin
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Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2005
Contact information: http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division, 2005
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms005013
Title: Papers of Andrew H. Foote
Span Dates: 1822-1890
Bulk Dates: (bulk 1847-1857)
ID No.: MSS20933 Creator:
Foote, Andrew H. (Andrew Hull), 1806-1863
Extent:
1,000 items;
11 containers;
4.4 linear feet;
5 microfilm reels
Language: Collection material in English
Repository:
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Abstract: Naval officer. Correspondence, letterbooks, manuscript of "Africa and the American Flag" (1854), journals, logbooks, miscellaneous
ships' records, and other papers relating principally to Foote's naval career, trade with Japan, missionaries in Hawaii, Civil
War naval actions, and Foote's personal life. Also includes a journal, 1845-1847, kept by Madison Rush on a cruise from New
York to China and South America.
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the Library's online catalog. They are grouped
by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically therein.
Names: Foote, Andrew H. (Andrew Hull), 1806-1863 Armstrong, James, 1794-1868--Correspondence Biddle, Thomas, 1776-1857--Correspondence Blundell, Edward A.--Correspondence Dobbin, James C. (James Cochran), 1814-1857--Correspondence Du Pont, Samuel Francis, 1803-1865--Correspondence Graham, William A. (William Alexander), 1804-1875--Correspondence Gregory, Francis H., 1789-1866--Correspondence Hastings, George F.--Correspondence Ingraham, Duncan N. (Duncan Nathaniel), 1802-1891--Correspondence Lenthall, John, 1807-1882--Correspondence Marcy, William L. (William Learned), 1786-1857--Correspondence Powell, Levin M., 1800-1885--Correspondence Preston, William Ballard, 1805-1862--Correspondence Read, George C. (George Campbell), 1787-1862--Correspondence Roberts, Joseph J. (Joseph Jenkins), 1809-1876--Correspondence Smith, Joseph, 1790-1877--Correspondence Toucey, Isaac, 1796-1869--Correspondence Tudor, John, fl. 1840-1850--Correspondence Great Britain. Royal Navy United States. Naval Asylum United States. Navy--Foreign service--China United States. Navy--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 United States. Navy. African Squadron United States. Navy. East India Squadron John Adams (Ship) Perry (Brig) Portsmouth (Sloop-of-war) Rush, Madison, fl. 1845-1847. Journal of Madison Rush (1845-1847)
Subjects: Americans--China Barrier Forts, Battle of the, China, 1856 Missionaries--Hawaii Ship's papers--19th century Slave trade--Africa, West United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations Africa, West--Description and travel Guangzhou (China) Fort Donelson, Battle of, Tenn., 1862 China--Commerce--United States Japan--Commerce--United States South America--Description and travel Tennessee--History--Civil War, 1861-1865 United States--Commerce--History--19th century United States--Commerce--China United States--Commerce--Japan
Occupation: Naval officers
Provenance:The papers of Andrew H. Foote, naval officer, were given to the Library of Congress by Kate N. Foote in 1911 and 1917. Small
additions were purchased in 1941 and 1979.
Processing History: The papers of Andrew H. Foote were processed in 1984. The finding aid was revised in 2003. Transfers: A photograph has been transferred to the Prints and Photographs Division of the Library of Congress where it is identified
as a part of these papers.
Copyright Status: The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Andrew H. Foote is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States
(Title 17, U.S.C.).
Microfilm: A microfilm edition of these papers is available on five reels. Consult a reference librarian in the Manuscript Division
concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan.
Preferred Citation: Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: Container or reel number, Andrew H.
Foote Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.
Date |
Event |
1806, Sept. 12 |
Born, New Haven, Conn. |
1822 |
Attended United States Military Academy, West Point, N.Y. Appointed acting midshipman, United States Navy
|
1827 |
Experienced religious conversion during Caribbean cruise |
1828 |
Married Caroline Flagg (died 1838) |
1837-1841 |
On cruises in Mediterranean and around globe |
1842 |
Married Caroline Augusta Street |
1842-1843 |
Commander, United States Naval Asylum, Philadelphia, Pa. |
1843 |
1st lieutenant on Cumberland (frigate), where he formed a temperance society and made this ship the first temperance ship
in the navy
|
1849-1851 |
Commanded Perry (brig), a ship in the United States African Squadron, patrolling the coast of Africa in order to suppress
the slave trade
|
1855 |
Member, Naval Efficiency Board |
1856-1858 |
Commanded Portsmouth (sloop-of-war), patrolling seas of China and the East Indies; captured the four barrier forts below Canton,
China, as punishment for attacks on the American flag
|
1861 |
In charge of Brooklyn Navy Yard, Brooklyn, N.Y. |
1861-1862 |
In command of naval operations on the upper Mississippi River Took part in capture of Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee Commissioned rear admiral
|
1863 |
Chief, Bureau of Equipment and Recruiting Appointed to succeed Samuel F. Du Pont in command of Charleston (S.C.) Squadron
|
1863, June 26 |
Died enroute to Charleston, S.C.; buried, New Haven, Conn. |
The papers of Andrew Hull Foote (1806-1863) span the years 1822-1890, with the bulk of the material dating from 1847 to 1857.
The collection consists of correspondence, letterbooks, Foote's manuscript of
Africa and the American Flag
(1854), journals and logbooks, watch and quarter station books, and miscellaneous items.
The Foote Papers center around two extended cruises in which Foote commanded vessels in United States naval squadrons patrolling
the coast of Africa and the seas of China and the East Indies. Between 1849 and 1851, Foote commanded the Perry, a brig of
the United States African Squadron, patrolling the western coast of Africa under terms of the 1842 treaty with Great Britain
for the suppression of the slave trade. Letters in the correspondence series and in three letterbooks covering the years 1849-1852 are devoted almost exclusively to this operation. Most of the
correspondence is exchanged with Francis H. Gregory, commander of the United States naval forces on the coast of Africa, secretaries
of the navy William Ballard Preston and William A. Graham, and George F. Hastings, senior officer of the southern division
of the British Squadron. The letters indicate international issues raised by the detention of ships flying the American flag
by British vessels and reveal the role of the commanders in resolving some of the incidents. Correspondence between Foote
and his superiors relates to sailing orders and reports of ships boarded, captured, or under litigation in British admiralty
courts. It also contains descriptions of ports visited, comments on conditions aboard ship, and an assessment by Foote of
the effect of the patrols on the suppression of the slave trade. Among the ships most frequently discussed in the correspondence
are the Navarro, the Volusia, and the Louisa Breton, all captured by the British, and the Martha and the Chatsworth, captured
by the Perry. Foote's correspondence also includes copies of material retrieved from the writing desk of Henry Merrill, captain
of the Martha, which Merrill had thrown overboard.
Correspondence relating to the cruise of the Perry is supplemented by the ship's logbooks and Foote's private journal covering
the period 1849-1851. The journal contains references to Foote's health and state of mind, comments on his personal life,
including his emphasis on religion, and descriptions of the pursuit of ships and other events mentioned in his letters and
logbooks. At the top of many of the pages of the journal are subject annotations in an unidentified handwriting. A gap exists
in the journal for the period 2 October-9 December 1850, and Foote later used pages at the end of this journal for drafts
of letters and reports in 1856 during the cruise of the U.S. sloop-of-war Portsmouth.
Foote's papers also document his tour of duty as commander of the Portsmouth during a three-year cruise, 1856-1858, as part
of the United States East India and China Seas Squadron. Material relating to the cruise is found in the correspondence series, in a letterbook for 1856-1858, and in a journal and logbook of the Portsmouth. Correspondence was primarily with
James Armstrong, commander of the squadron, and James C. Dobbin, secretary of the navy. Most of the letters between October
1856 and early 1857 relate to the capture of the four forts below Canton, known as the barrier forts, which Foote destroyed
in retaliation for attacks on the American flag. Other letters describe the effect of the conflict between Great Britain
and China on the lives of Americans living in China or engaged in commerce in the Far East. Correspondence also reflects
the growing interest of the United States in developing trade in the Far East, particularly with Japan which opened only the
ports of Simoda and Hakodadi (now Hakodate) to Americans. Several letters written in the spring of 1857 concern the Henrietta
Maria, abandoned by her officers and men and claimed as salvage by men from the Portsmouth.
Many of the letters in the correspondence series are copies, some of which appear to have been part of a letterbook or other paginated units. At some point the paginated
sequence of this part of the Foote Papers was partially destroyed and has not been reconstructed here. Rather, these letters
are now arranged in chronological order as far as possible.
Papers reflecting other phases of Foote's career are less numerous than those for the two cruises. A letterbook, more properly
a journal of his cruise aboard the U.S. frigate John Adams, is primarily devoted to an explanation and justification of the
part Foote and other officers played in an incident involving religious dissension between American Protestant missionaries
and local Roman Catholics on the Sandwich Islands (Hawaii) in the fall of 1839. The journal contains copies of letters written
to various individuals which were subsequently published in newspapers, thereby disclosing the circumstances of the affair
to the public. In a December 18, 1839, entry, Foote compared the activities of the Roman Catholics and missionaries on the
island of Tahiti with those occurring on the Sandwich Islands. The last pages of the journal contain entries reflecting on
life and religion which he made on the day he set aside for fasting, usually monthly, during the year 1840. These entries
generally conclude with a prayer. Documents relating to Foote's years at the United States Naval Asylum are limited to correspondence
in the letterbook for 1842-1846. There are also only a few items from his service as commander of naval operations on the
upper Mississippi River during the Civil War. One of these is a report written February 15, 1862, describing an attack on
Fort Donelson.
The remaining volumes consist of a journal of Madison Rush, who was later a lieutenant aboard the Perry with Foote, covering
his cruise as acting master of the Columbus (ship-of-the-line) on a trip from New York to China and South America, 1845-1847;
a table of observations of wind and weather made aboard the Vandalia (frigate), 1857-1860; watch and quarter station books
for the Portsmouth, the Cumberland, and the Delaware; a book of rules and regulations for the John Adams; and an autograph
album of Augustus Foote, mainly covering the years 1863-1866.
Correspondents in the Foote Papers include James Armstrong, Thomas Biddle, Edward A. Blundell, James C. Dobbin, Samuel Francis
Du Pont, William A. Graham, Francis H. Gregory, George F. Hastings, Duncan N. Ingraham, John Lenthall, William L. Marcy, Levin
M. Powell, William Ballard Preston, George C. Read, Joseph J. Roberts, Joseph Smith, Isaac Toucey, John Tudor, and Daniel
Webster.
The collection is arranged in five series:
Container |
Series |
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BOX 1-3 REEL 1-2
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Letters received and copies of letters sent with enclosures or attachments, and a few miscellaneous papers. |
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Arranged chronologically. |
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BOX 4-5 REEL 2-3
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Manuscript of Africa and the American Flag.
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BOX 6-11 REEL 3
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Copies of letters received and sent. |
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Arranged chronologically. Volume 6 is primarily a journal. Volume 8 is indexed. |
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BOX 12-23 REEL 3-5
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Journals, logbooks, watch and quarter station books, a book of rules, and a table of weather observations. |
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Arranged by name of ship or type of material. |
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BOX 24-25 REEL 5
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A ledger and an autograph album. |
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Arranged by type of material. |
*Microfilm shelf no. 18,988
Container |
Contents |
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BOX 1-3 REEL 1-2
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Correspondence, 1838-1863
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Letters received and copies of letters sent with enclosures or attachments, and a few miscellaneous papers. |
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Arranged chronologically. |
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BOX 1 REEL 1
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1838, Apr. 18-1850, Oct. 19 |
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BOX 2 REEL 1
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1850, Oct. 20-1856, Dec. 10 |
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BOX 3 REEL 2
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1856, Dec. 12-1863, June 8 |
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BOX 4-5 REEL 2-3
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Writings, 1854
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Manuscript of Africa and the American Flag.
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BOX 4-5 REEL 2-3
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Africa and the American Flag, 1854
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BOX 6-11 REEL 3
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Letterbooks, 1839-1858
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Copies of letters received and sent. |
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Arranged chronologically. Volume 6 is primarily a journal. Volume 8 is indexed. |
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BOX 6 REEL 3
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1839, Nov. 5-1842, Jan. 1 (mainly a journal) |
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BOX 7 REEL 3
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1842, Nov. 30-1846, Oct. 20 |
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BOX 8 REEL 3
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1849, Oct. 12-1852, May 9 (indexed) |
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BOX 9 REEL 3
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1850, Jan. 7-Nov. 29 |
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BOX 10 REEL 3
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1850, Oct. 20-1851, Dec. 26 |
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BOX 11 REEL 3
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1856, Feb. 16-1858, July 24 |
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BOX 12-23 REEL 3-5
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Ships' Papers, 1835-1860
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Journals, logbooks, watch and quarter station books, a book of rules, and a table of weather observations. |
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Arranged by name of ship or type of material. |
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BOX 12 REEL 3
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Watch and quarter station books |
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Delaware (ship-of-the-line), 1835 |
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BOX 13 REEL 4
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Cumberland (frigate), 1843-1845 |
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BOX 14 REEL 4
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Perry (brig) |
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Private journal, including drafts of papers from voyage of the Portsmouth (sloop-of-war), 1856 |
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BOX 15 REEL 4
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Journal and logbooks |
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1849, Nov. 17-1850, Nov. 7 |
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BOX 16 REEL 4
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1850, Nov. 8-1851, Sept. 14 |
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BOX 17 REEL 4
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1851, Sept. 15-Dec. 23 |
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BOX 18 REEL 4
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Portsmouth (sloop-of-war) |
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Orders and watch station book, 1856 |
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BOX 19 REEL 4
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Journal and logbook, 1856, Apr. 22-1858, June 17 |
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BOX 20 REEL 5
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Abstract log, 1856, May 4-1858, June 13 |
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BOX 21 REEL 5
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Rules on board John Adams (frigate), Thomas W. Wyman, commander, 1837 |
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BOX 22 REEL 5
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Journal of Madison Rush, Columbus (ship-of-the-line), 1845-1847 |
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BOX 23 REEL 5
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Observations of wind and weather, Vandalia (frigate), 1857-1860 |
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BOX 24-25 REEL 5
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Miscellany, 1822-1890
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A ledger and an autograph album. |
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Arranged by type of material. |
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BOX 24 REEL 5
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Ledger, 1822-1828 |
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BOX 25 REEL 5
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Autograph album of Augustus Foote, 1863-1890 |
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