July 14th, 2011
This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 7/14/2011
A rare manuscript Union naval document, 3pp. folio, ca. 1863, being the complete manual of arms exercise for loading and firing naval guns onboard a Union frigate, entitled: "To preserve uniformity in the exercise of the different divisions. The officers will make use of the following words of command and see that none others are used." Reading, in very small part: "1st cast loose the guns. Off apron, out tompions, the guns are to be cast loose, tackles hooked in train…rammer sponge & handspike on the starboard side: 1st & 2nd captains with tube belts on, priming wires becketed on their wrists and leather thumb stalls on left thumbs for stopping vents…2d Elevate, depress or level the guns…3d Prime & lock the Locks. The captain takes out a tube and wafer with his right hand & puts it in the vent cocks the lock, takes the lock string in his right hand, steps back behind the gun, bears his weight on the right leg & stoops so as to sight the gun. 4th Point to the object…5th Drop tackles, Fire. The captain firing with the lock at the same time. 6th In Vent…7th Sponge…8th Cartridge…9th Ram Home…10th Shot & wad…11th Ram Home…12th Run out…13th Prime and cock the lock as before…when both sides are manned. The men stationed at the gun with even numbers as 2, 4, 6 etc man on the larboard side. While those with uneven numbers as 1, 3, 5 etc go to the starboard guns…the 1st captain loader and sponger attends to loading their own gun…on the lower deck the guns are not to be run out, but train the tackles must be hitched,…the ports must be hauled in & the lashings securely hitched…". A rare naval document coming Acting Master Mate Samuel Gregory's archive of USS Western World papers, a vessel that cruised the coasts of Georgia, South Carolina and Florida during 1863. VG. From the personal archive of Acting Master Samuel B. Gregory who commanded the USS Western World from the date of her commission on January 3, 1862 until November 1864. Initially, she was assigned to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron cruising the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina looking for blockaders and in taking part in raiding coastal plantations and helping free the slaves they found. Later in 1863, she was added to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, taking part in the Suffolk campaign in April 1863 and helped capture six enemy vessels soon afterwards. The following documents give a good look at the naval career of one of the North's more active blockaders.
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