Francis Winslow
A Register of His Papers in the Naval Historical Foundation
Collection in the Library of Congress
Prepared by Joseph K. Brooks
Manuscript Division,
Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
2007
Contact information:
http://lcweb.loc.gov/rr/mss/address.html
Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress Manuscript Division,
2007
Finding aid URL: http://hdl.loc.gov/loc.mss/eadmss.ms007090
Title: Papers of Francis Winslow
Span Dates: 1833-1863 ID No.: MSS22293 Creator:
Winslow, Francis,
1818-1862 Extent: 700 items;
2 containers plus 1 oversize;
0.8 linear feet
Language: Collection material in
English
Repository:
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress,
Washington, D.C. Abstract: Naval officer.
Correspondence, journals, logs, and other papers documenting Winslow's naval
career.
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.
Personal Names Winslow
family--Correspondence. Winslow,
Francis, 1818-1862. Winslow,
Mary Sophia Nelson, b. 1827--Correspondence.
Organizations Brandywine (Frigate) Dale
(Ship) Erie
(Sloop of war) Falmouth
(Ship) Marion
(Ship) Merrimack (Frigate) R.R.
Cuyler (Ship) Saratoga
(Sloop of war) United
States. Navy--Cruise,
1834-1837. United
States. Navy--Cruise,
1854-1859. United
States. Navy--Foreign service--South
America. United
States. Navy--History. United
States. Navy--Officers. Water
Witch (Steamer)
Subjects Harbors--Alabama. Harbors--Florida. Harbors--Louisiana. Logbooks--United
States--19th century.
Locations Alabama--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades. Argentina--Description and travel. Brazil--Description and travel. Buenos
Aires (Argentina)--Description and travel. Florida--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades. Louisiana--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades. Montevideo
(Uruguay)--Description and travel. Rio de
Janeiro (Brazil)--Description and travel. South
America--Description and travel. United
States--History, Naval. United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades. United
States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations. Uruguay--Description and travel.
Occupations Naval
officers.
Provenance:The papers of Francis Winslow, naval officer, were deposited in the
Library of Congress by the Naval Historical Foundation from 1969 to1989 and
converted to a gift in 1998.
Processing History:The papers of Francis Winslow were arranged and described in 1997. The
finding aid was revised in 2007.
Copyright Status:The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Francis Winslow
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Preferred Citation:Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Francis Winslow Papers, Naval
Historical Foundation Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Date |
Event |
1818, Sept. 6 |
Born, Boston, Mass. |
1833-1842 |
Midshipman, Brandywine (frigate),
Enterprise (schooner), Natchez, Erie, Marion, and Dale (sloops-of-war), Brazil Station
|
1842-1844 |
Master, acting lieutenant, and lieutenant,
United States (frigate)
|
1846 |
Married Mary Nelson |
1847-1848 |
Duty on Washington (brig) in
Mexican waters during Mexican War
|
1849-1852 |
Duty on Independence (frigate)
|
1854-1856 |
Duty on Falmouth and
Saratoga (sloops-of-war)
|
1857-1859 |
Duty on Merrimack (frigate),
Pacific Squadron
|
1861 |
Commander, Water Witch (gunboat),
Gulf Blockading Squadron
|
1861-1862 |
Commander, R. R. Cuyler
(gunboat), Gulf Blockading Squadron
|
1862, Aug. 26 |
Died at sea |
The papers of Francis Winslow (1818-1862) span the years 1833-1863 and
parallel his naval career, which began with his appointment as a midshipman at
age fifteen in 1833 and a cruise to Brazil in 1834 and ended in 1862 with his
death at sea of yellow fever while commanding a gunboat. The collection,
consisting mostly of correspondence, journals, and logs, is arranged
alphabetically by type of material and thereunder chronologically.
General correspondence, all with his wife, Mary Nelson Winslow, or
with other family members, is arranged alphabetically by name of correspondent.
Elizabeth Winslow Pickering, addressed as "mother" in Winslow's correspondence
with her, was an aunt who raised Winslow when his mother died during his
infancy. J. J. Wilkins, whom Winslow addressed as "aunty" in correspondence,
was his wife's aunt.
The letterbook documents Winslow's only independent commands of the
gunboats Water Witch and R.
R. Cuyler during Civil War blockade duty in Louisiana, Alabama, and
Florida waters.
The official correspondence, consisting of orders, appointments,
notifications of promotions, letters from commanding officers, and a minor
incident report, summarize Winslow's career from his appointment as midshipman
in 1833 to his commission as a lieutenant in 1844.
A journal dated 1834-1837 covers Winslow's first cruise to South
America aboard the Brandywine (frigate) and his
subsequent duty on the Brazil Station and ashore at Rio de Janeiro, Brazil,
Montevideo, Uruguay, Buenos Aires, Argentina, and other locations, as well as
aboard the Erie (sloop-of-war) and other
vessels.
A journal and log dated 1839-1842 is an account of Winslow's cruises
on the sloops-of-war Marion and
Dale in Atlantic and Pacific South American
waters. A journal and log spanning the years 1854-1859 relates to cruises on
sloops-of-war Falmouth and
Saratoga and the Merrimack (frigate),
flagship of the Pacific Squadron.
The oversize passport was issued by the United States consul at
Leghorn (Livorno, Italy) in 1851 during a period spanning 1849-1852 when
Winslow was cruising the Mediterranean aboard the frigate Independence. Information from this and other periods
not documented by his journals, such as his cruise aboard the
Washington (brig) from 1847 to 1848 during the
Mexican War, is included in Winslow's lengthy letters to his wife in the
general correspondence.
In 1935 Winslow's son, Arthur, published
Francis Winslow, His Forbears and Life,
largely based on these papers. However, material used for the book did not
include the earliest and most engaging journal of 1834-1837 relating to
Winslow's midshipman cruises at Brazil Station.
This collection is arranged alphabetically by type of material and
therein chronologically.
Container |
Contents |
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BOX 1
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Correspondence |
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BOX 1
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General |
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BOX 1
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Pickering, Arthur,
1840-1841
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BOX 1
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Pickering, Elizabeth Winslow,
1839-1842
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BOX 1
|
Wilkins, J. J.,
1855
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BOX 1
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Winslow, George,
1840-1842
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BOX 1
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Winslow, Mary Nelson,
1847-1863
|
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(6
folders)
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BOX 2
|
Letterbook, Water Witch and R. R.
Cuyler (gunboats),
1861-1862
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BOX 2
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Official,
1833-1858
|
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BOX 2
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Journals and logs,
1834-1859
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(5 folders)
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BOX 2
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Passport,
1851-1852
See Oversize |
|
BOX OV 1
|
Oversize |
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BOX OV 1
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Passport,
1851-1852 (Container 2)
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