Seth Ledyard Phelps Letterbook

Collection

Identifier: A1211

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

Letterbook consists of correspondence primarily to and from Seth Ledyard Phelps while commanding U.S. Navy gunboats on the western waters from 1861 to 1864. Correspondence contains accounts of naval operations mainly along the Mississippi, Tennessee, and Red Rivers, including the movement of gunboats to capture Forts Henry and Donelson, and operations during the Red River Campaign. The collection also contains extensive correspondence regarding repairs to the U.S.S. Eastport and its eventual destruction, and repairs to the U.S.S. Choctaw and U.S.S. Lafayette. Principal correspondents include Admiral David D. Porter, Captain Alexander M. Pennock, Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles, and Commodore Andrew Hull Foote, in addition to three letters of General William T. Sherman.

Dates

1861-1864

Creator

Phelps, Seth Ledyard, -1885 (Author, Person)

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research use.

Conditions Governing Use

For permission to publish, quote from, or reproduce material in this collection, please contact the Archives Reference Desk at archives@mohistory.org. Copyright restrictions may apply. The researcher assumes full responsibility for conforming to the laws of copyright.

Biographical Sketch

Seth Ledyard Phelps was born June 13, 1824, in Parkman, Ohio, and enlisted in the U.S. Navy in October 1841, eventually rising to the rank of lieutenant commander. He resigned October 29, 1864. He died June 24, 1885, in Lima, Peru, where he was serving as United States minister to Peru.

Extent

0.75 Cubic Feet ( (2 boxes (approximately 350 items)))

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Arrangement

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Physical and Technical Requirements

There are no physical or technical restrictions.

Donor Information

This collection was purchased from S.V. Henkel in 1932.

Existence and Location of Copies

The Seth Ledyard Phelps Letterbook was digitized by Carla Ottwell in 2009. The images may be viewed online by clicking the links beside each item in the inventory. The letterbook is also available on microfilm.