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                           Matthew Fontaine Maury

            A Register of His Papers in the Library of Congress


                   Prepared by Preparation Section staff
                 Revised and expanded by Karen Linn Femia

                                    1997

                            Manuscript Division
                            Library of Congress

                             Washington, D.C.

                Finding aid encoded by Library of Congress
                         Manuscript Division, 2001

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Table of Contents for Matthew Fontaine Maury
Collection Summary
Selected Search Terms

   * Names:
   * Subjects:
   * Occupations:

Administrative Information

   * Provenance:
   * Processing History:
   * Transfers:
   * Copyright Status:
   * Preferred Citation:

Biographical Note

Scope and Content Note
Description of Series

   * General Correspondence, 1825- 1910, n.d.
   * Writings, Addresses, and Lectures, 1856- 1872.
   * Letterbooks, 1859- 1891.
   * Miscellany, 1839- 1953, n.d.
   * Additions, 1834- 1960, n.d.
   * Oversize, 1856- 1873, n.d.

Container List

   * GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1825- 1910, n.d.
   * WRITINGS, ADDRESSES, AND LECTURES, 1856- 1872
   * LETTERBOOKS, 1859- 1891
   * MISCELLANY, 1839- 1953, n.d.
   * ADDITIONS, 1834- 1960, n.d.
   * OVERSIZE, 1856- 1873, n.d.

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------

Collection Summary

Creator: Maury, Matthew Fontaine, 1806-1873
Title: Papers of Matthew Fontaine Maury 1825-1960 (bulk 1830-1880)
Size: 14,650 items; 65 containers plus 1 oversize; 17.5 linear feet
Repository: Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Abstract: Naval officer and oceanographer. Correspondence, letterbooks,
diaries, journals, speeches, articles, and other writings, notebooks,
electrical experiment book, charts, and printed material relating chiefly
to Maury's naval career, scientific activities and interests, service as a
Confederate agent in England, and work as an immigration official for
Southern expatriates in Mexico, and to the Maury (Morey) family.

Selected Search Terms

Names:

Blackford, William M., 1801-1864--Correspondence
Corbin, Nannie, 1837-1900--Correspondence
Corbin, Wellford--Correspondence
Hasbrouck, William C.--Correspondence
Holmes, Nathaniel J.--Correspondence
Jansen, Marin H. (Marin Henry), 1817-1893--Correspondence
Maury, Ann, 1803-1876--Correspondence
Maury, Ann, 1811-1901--Correspondence
Maury, Matthew Fontaine, 1849-1886--Correspondence
Maury, Richard L. (Richard Lancelot), 1840-1907--Correspondence
Maury, Rutson, 1805-1882--Correspondence
Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, 1832-1867--Correspondence
Minor, Franklin, 1812-1867--Correspondence
Otey, James Hervey, 1800-1863--Correspondence
Smith, Francis Henney, 1812-1890-Correspondence
Tremlett, F. W. (Francis William)--Correspondence
Werth, Mary, 1844-1928--Correspondence
Withers, Eliza, b. 1846--Correspondence
Morey family
Morey family--Correspondence
Confederate States of America. Navy--Officers
United States. Navy--Officers
United States. Depot of Charts and Instruments.
United States Naval Observatory
Coblentz, Catherine Cate, 1897-1951. Typescript (1953)
Smith, C. Alphonso (Charles Alphonso), 1864-1924. Papers

Subjects:

American Confederate voluntary exiles--Mexico
Diplomatic and consular service, Confederate--Great Britain
Meteorology
Mines and mineral resources
Oceanography
Physical geography--Virginia
Science--History--19th century
Torpedoes
Confederate States of America--Foreign relations--Great Britain
Confederate States of America--History, Naval
Great Britain--Foreign relations--Confederate States of America
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Refugees

Occupations:

Naval officers
Naval officers, Confederate
Oceanographers

Administrative Information

Provenance:

The papers and medals of Matthew Fontaine Maury (1806-1873), naval officer
and oceanographer, were given to the United States by Maury's daughter,
Mary Maury Werth, and other Maury descendants in 1912 in a presentation to
President William Howard Taft. The medals were placed in the Smithsonian
Institution and the papers in the Library of Congress later that year. The
Library acquired additional Maury papers through gifts from the Maury
family and others and by purchase, 1913-1996.

Processing History:

The papers of Matthew Fontainer Maury were first arranged and described in
1962. Additional material was incorporated into the collection in 1978 and
1997.

Transfers:

Maps have been transferred to the Library's Geography and Map Division
where they are identified as part of these papers.

Copyright Status:

The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Matthew Fontaine
Maury 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, Matthew Fontaine Maury Papers, Manuscript
Division, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

Biographical Note

 Date          Event

 1806 , Jan.
 14            Born near Fredericksburg, Va. ; raised in Tennessee

 1818          Entered Harpeth Academy, near Franklin, Tenn.

 1825 - 1834   Obtained midshipman's warrant, U.S. Navy and made three
               extended voyages

 1834          Married Ann Hull Herndon ; resided in Fredericksburg, Va.

 1836          Promoted to lieutenant
               Published A New Theoretical and Practical Treatise on
               Navigation (Philadelphia: Key and Biddle. 174 pp.)

 1839          Permanently lamed in stagecoach accident and thenceforth
               not assigned to sea duty

 1842 - 1844   Superintendent of the Navy Department's Depot of Charts and
               Instruments

 1844 - 1861   Superintendent of the Naval Observatory and Hydrographical
               Office

 1847          Issued first Wind and Current Charts (U.S. Hydrographic
               Office) showing best "tracks" for sailing ships in the
               North Atlantic

 1853          U.S. representative at international maritime congress,
               Brussels, Belgium

 1855          Published The Physical Geography of the Sea (New York:
               Harper & Bros. 274 pp.), the first modern oceanographic
               textbook
               Placed on inactive duty by the U.S. Navy

 1858          Restored to active duty by presidential order; promoted to
               commander retroactive to 1855

 1861 , Apr.   Resigned from U.S. Navy and accepted commission as
 20            commander in Confederate Navy

 1862          Special agent of the Confederate government to England

 1865 - 1866   Imperial commissioner of immigration to the Emperor of
               Mexico

 1866 - 1868   Resided in England

 1868          Published First Lessons in Geography (New York: Richardson
               & Co. 62 pp.)
               Published The World We Live in (New York: Richardson & Co.
               104 pp.)

 1868 - 1872   Professor of meteorology, Virginia Military Institute,
               Lexington, Va.

 1870          Published Manual of Geography (New York: University
               Publishing Co. 162 pp.)

 1873 , Feb.
 1             Died, Lexington, Va.

Scope and Content Note

The Matthew Fontaine Maury Papers span the years 1825-1960, with the bulk
of the material dating from the 1830s to the 1870s. The papers consist of
letterbooks, correspondence, diaries, notebooks, electrical experiment
book, journals, drafts and printed copies of speeches and articles, charts,
related printed matter, and proofs of his unpublished work "Astronomy." The
papers are organized into the following series: General Correspondence,
Writings, Addresses, and Lectures, Letterbooks, Miscellany, Additions, and
Oversize.

The papers pertain chiefly to Maury's naval career, his scientific
activities and interests, and his service to the Confederacy in the Civil
War. There is also considerable material concerning the many medals and
honors conferred upon him for his scientific contributions. Some subjects
touched upon are mines, meteorology, the colonization of Mexico by former
Confederates, physical geography of Virginia, and oceanography. Much of the
correspondence is family correspondence, including many of Maury's own
letters.

Prominent among his correspondents are William M. Blackford, William C.
Hasbrouck, Nathaniel J. Holmes, Admiral Marin H. Jansen, Privy Councilor to
the King of Holland, Ann Hull Herndon Maury, Richard L. Maury, Rutson
Maury, Maximilian, Emperor of Mexico, Franklin Minor, James Hervey Otey,
Francis Henney Smith, Francis W. Tremlett, and Mary Herndon Maury Werth.

Placed with the collection are papers of Charles Alphonso Smith regarding
Maury including clippings and notes on Maury as well as correspondence with
Mary Maury (Mrs. James R.) Werth concerning her father. Also included is a
typescript of a life of Maury by Catherine Cate Coblentz.

The 1978 addition to the Maury Papers consists of correspondence between
various Maury family members, 1858-1878. These papers were received by the
Library between 1966 and 1975. Correspondents include Nannie Corbin,
Wellford Corbin, Matthew Fontaine Maury (1849-1886), Mary Herndon Maury
Werth, and Eliza Hull Maury Withers. Of particular interest are the letters
Maury received during the periods when he was special Confederate agent to
Great Britain in London and an immigration official for Southern
expatriates in Mexico.

The 1997 addition consists of Maury papers received by the Library from
1989 to 1996. It primarily contains letters written by Matthew F. Maury to
his cousin, Ann Maury, relating his daily activities. Also included are
correspondence with other family members, one letter of 1858 to Benjamin
Silliman concerning expeditions and packet ships, news clippings (some
dating from the mid-twentieth century), and copies of navigational charts.

Description of Series

 Box    Series

 BOX    General Correspondence, 1825 - 1910 , n.d.
 1-46

        Correspondence.

        Arranged chronologically in forty-six bound volumes.

 BOX    Writings, Addresses, and Lectures, 1856 - 1872 .
 47-51
        Arranged chronologically in five bound volumes.

 BOX    Letterbooks, 1859 - 1891 .
 52-56

        Copies of outgoing correspondence.

        Arranged chronologically in five bound volumes.

 BOX    Miscellany, 1839 - 1953 , n.d.
 57-63

        Account books, diaries, photographs, printed matter, scrapbook,
        writings, and C. Alphonso Smith papers re Maury.

        Arranged alphabetically by type of material.

 BOX    Additions, 1834 - 1960 , n.d.
 64-65

        Correspondence and family correspondence, each arranged
        chronologically. Miscellaneous material including genealogical
        records and news clippings.

        Arranged in two additions.

 BOX OV Oversize, 1856 - 1873 , n.d.
 1

        Diplomas, awards, and probate papers.

        Organized and described according to the series, folders, and
        boxes from which the items were removed.

Container List

 Box    Contents

        GENERAL CORRESPONDENCE, 1825 - 1910 , n.d.

 BOX 1           6 Feb. 1825-3 Nov. 1839
 BOX 2           6 Nov. 1839-15 July 1843
 BOX 3           29 July 1843-13 Feb. 1850
 BOX 4           15 Feb. 1850-17 Sept. 1855
 BOX 5           18 Sept. 1855-4 Feb. 1856
 BOX 6           5 Feb. 1856-25 Feb. 1857
 BOX 7           26 Feb. 1857-6 June 1859
 BOX 8           7 June 1859-23 Jan. 1860
 BOX 9           29 Jan.-21 Oct. 1860
 BOX 10          22 Oct. 1860-21 Jan. 1861
 BOX 11          22 Jan.-4 Feb. 1861
 BOX 12          5-22 Feb. 1861
 BOX 13          23 Feb.-6 Apr. 1861
 BOX 14          7 Apr.-7 Oct. 1861
 BOX 15          8 Oct. 1861-3 May 1862
 BOX 16          4 May-17 Sept. 1862
 BOX 17          18 Sept. 1862-20 Apr. 1863
 BOX 18          21 Apr.-2 Nov. 1863
 BOX 19          3 Nov. 1863-5 Feb. 1864
 BOX 20          6 Feb.-19 Oct. 1864
 BOX 21          20 Oct. 1864-8 June 1865
 BOX 22          9 June-20 Aug. 1865
 BOX 23          21 Aug.-1 Dec. 1865
 BOX 24          3 Dec. 1865-18 Apr. 1866
 BOX 25          19 Apr. 1866-10 May 1867
 BOX 26          11 May 1867-9 June 1868
 BOX 27          10 June-27 Nov. 1868
 BOX 28          28 Nov. 1868-2 Feb. 1869
 BOX 29          3 Feb.-10 Mar. 1869
 BOX 30          11 Mar.-22 Apr. 1869
 BOX 31          23 Apr.-25 June 1869
 BOX 32          26 June-1 Nov. 1869
 BOX 33          2 Nov. 1869-17 Jan. 1870
 BOX 34          18 Jan.-29 Apr. 1870
 BOX 35          30 Apr.-4 Aug. 1870
 BOX 36          5 Aug. 1870-10 Apr. 1871
 BOX 37          11 Apr.-3 Sept. 1871
 BOX 38          9 Sept. 1871-1 Jan. 1872
 BOX 39          2 Jan.-27 Mar. 1872
 BOX 40          28 Mar.-10 Aug. 1872
 BOX 41          11 Aug. 1872-3 Jan. 1873
 BOX 42          4-30 Jan. 1873
 BOX 43          1 Feb.-20 Mar. 1873
 BOX 44          21 Mar.-27 Oct. 1873
 BOX 45          28 Oct. 1873-8 Feb. 1895
 BOX 46          13 Apr. 1895-25 Apr. 1910, n.d.

        WRITINGS, ADDRESSES, AND LECTURES, 1856 - 1872

 BOX 47          June 1856-June 1868
 BOX 48          Dec. 1869-Jan. 1871
 BOX 49          May 1871
 BOX 50          May-Dec. 1871
 BOX 51          Jan.-May 1872

        LETTERBOOKS, 1859 - 1891

 BOX 52          3 Dec. 1859-18 Jan. 1861
 BOX 53          9 Oct. 1868-28 Sept. 1869
 BOX 54          29 Sept.-9 Oct. 1869
 BOX 55          4 Apr. 1871-19 Mar. 1872
 BOX 56          12 Apr.-14 Nov. 1872
                 Fragments, 1891

        MISCELLANY, 1839 - 1953 , n.d.

 BOX 57          Account books, 1841-1872
                 "Children's recollections," 1872-1873, 1928
                 Coblentz, Catherine Cate, "Naval Lieutenant Matthew
                 Fontaine Maury, First Citizen of the World, 1853-1953, "
                 1953
 BOX 58          Diaries, 1862-1872
                 Diplomas and awards, 1854-1856, n.d. See also Oversize
                 Notebooks
                        Electricity, 1864
                        Virginia, n.d.
                 Photographs, 1872, n.d.
                 Printed matter
                        Booklets and journals
                                1854-1872
                                (2 folders)
 BOX 59                         1873-1904, 1923, n.d.
                                (3 folders)
                        News clippings, ca. 1840-ca. 1900
                        (1 folder)

 BOX 60
                        (3 folders)
 BOX 61          Probate, 1873 See Oversize
                 Scrapbook, 1839-1873
                 Smith, Alphonso C., collection
                        Correspondence
                                General, 1864-1868, 1889, n.d.
                                Re Maury, 1864-1867, 1923-1927
                        News clippings, 1922-1924
                        Photographs, n.d.
 BOX 62                 Writings re Maury, 1903-1924, n.d.
                        (2 folders)
                 Writings by Maury
                        Articles, n.d.
                        Astronomical observations made at the National
                        Observatory, Washington, D.C., 1846-1851
                        "Astronomy," n.d.
 BOX 63                 First Lessons in Geography, 1884
                        Physical Survey of Virginia, 1869
                        Published letters and commentary, 1866-1868
                        Report on the loss of the mail steamer Central
                        America under the command of William Lewis
                        Herndon, 1857, 1884
                        Speeches, 1859, 1869-1873, n.d.
                        Winds and Currents of the Sea, 1851
                 Testimonial volume to Maury, 1859

        ADDITIONS, 1834 - 1960 , n.d.

 BOX 64          1978 Addition, 1858-1878, n.d.
                        Family correspondence
                                Index, n.d.
                                1858-1878, n.d.
                                (2 folders)
                        Genealogy, n.d.
 BOX 65          1997 Addition, 1834-1960, n.d.
                        Correspondence, 1834-1872, n.d.
                        (10 folders)
                        Miscellany, 1857-1873, 1956-1960, n.d.

        OVERSIZE, 1856 - 1873 , n.d.

 BOX OV 1        Miscellany
                        Diplomas and awards, 1856, n.d. (Container 58)
                        Probate, 1873 (Container 61)