Secretaries of the Navy

This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 2/28/2005

PRESTON, William B. (1805-1862) Secretary of the Navy in the Cabinet of President Zachary Taylor and served from March 8, 1849, to July 22, 1850; delegate to the Virginia state constitutional convention, 1861; served in the Confederate States Congress.Manuscript Letter Signed, “Wm. Ballard Preston” 1p. quarto, July 14, 1849, Navy Department, addressed to Lt. Blair, Comdg. U.S. Store Ship ‘Erie’, and reads “I have received with satisfaction, your letter reporting the arrival of the U.S. Store ship ‘Erie’ under your command at New York.” VG....plus; TOUCEY, Isaac (1796-1869) Governor of Connecticut, U.S. Attorney General (1848-49); acting U.S. Secretary of State (1848); U.S. Senator (1852-1857); Secretary of the Navy (1857-1860); Acting U.S. Secretary of the Treasury, December 1860-January 1861.Partly-printed Letter Signed, “I Toucey” 1p. quarto, March 27, 1857, on Navy Department lettersheet, addressed to Commander McBlair, ordering him to report “for the Command of the U.S. Sloop of War Dale.” VG....plus; UPSHUR, Abel P. (1790-1844) Secretary of the Navy under Tyler. His time with the Navy was marked by a strong emphasis on reform and reorganization and efforts to expand and modernize the service. Among his achievements were the replacement of the old Board of Navy Commissioners with the bureau system, regularization of the officer corps, increased Navy appropriations, construction of new sailing and steam warships, and the establishment of the Naval Observatory and Hydrographic Office. In July 1843, President Tyler appointed Upshur as Secretary of State. On 28 February 1844, while joining the President and many other dignitaries for a Potomac River cruise on the new steamship USS Princeton, Secretary of State Abel P. Upshur and several others were killed when one of the ship's guns exploded.Partly-printed Letter Signed, “AP Ushur” 1p. quarto, February 24, 1843, Navy Department, granting a leave of absence for Lt. McBlair of the U.S. Ship Decatur. VG.

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