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THBConfederate CSS Shenandoah Diary and Archive
About Seller
4310 Papermill Dr. NW
Knoxville, TN 37909
United States
Case Auctions is based in Knoxville, Tennessee, where our gallery is located, with satellite offices in Nashville, Tennessee and Kingsport, TN – but our reach is worldwide. Established in 2005, we conduct cataloged auctions of investment-quality art and antiques under the stewardship of knowledgeabl...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJan 24, 2015 - Jan 25, 2015
Case Auctions bid@caseantiques.com
View Full Catalog (870)
- Lot Description
Important 1865 Confederate CSS Shenandoah ship diary archive of Lieutenant Dabney Scales including 1865 diary journal (85 pages, 104 pages total), an ambrotype and CDV of Lt. Dabney Scales in uniform, a CDV of the Shenandoah, and an author signed book/pamplet titled, "Cruises of the Confederate States Steamers "Shenandoah" and "Nashville" by Captain William C. Whittle, 1910. Note - the Confederate ship, CSS Shenandoah, fired the last shot of the Civil War and marked the final surrender of Confederate forces on November 6, 1865. Given the orders to destroy the New England whaling fleet, the partially crewed Confederate ship circumnavigated the earth, capturing 38 vessels and taking over 1000 prisoners between 1864-65. Twenty five ships were captured after the Confederacy had collapsed. Biography of Dabney Scales - Dabney Minor Scales (1841-1920) of Memphis, TN was the son of Peter Scales, a planter originally from Virginia. Dabney was born and raised in Holly Springs, Mississippi, attended the US Naval Academy and joined the Confederate Navy at the outbreak of the Civil War. He served on the CSS Savannah, CSS Capital, CSS Arkansas, CSS Atlanta, and the CSS Shenandoah. In 1863-4, Scales was assigned to Europe and spent time in London and Paris regarding the outfitting and manning of Confederate ships constructed in England. Fearing he would be prosecuted as a pirate after the Civil War, Dabney Scales lived in Mexico for a short time, but was back in the States practicing law in Memphis by about 1869. He married Susan Winchester Powell (granddaughter of Gen. James Winchester) in Nashville circa 1885 and was elected to the Tennessee legislature and served in the Tennessee State Senate 1895-1896. He returned to active Naval duty in the Spanish American War, serving as a lieutenant despite his age. 1st item - CSS Shenandoah ship diary of Lieutenant Dabney Scales, 85 pages with some hand drawn illustrations. Complete diary has a total number of 104 pages and includes a partial journal by a different hand from May 1864 - December 1864 relating to the ship Edward of New Bedford - the first whaling vessel captured by the Shenandoah, and two pages of an 1870 entry by Dabney Scales. The log of the Shenandoah is titled "Confederate States Shenandoah cruising for Yankees". Scales retroactively records events back to February 13th, 1865 in Melbourne, Australia where the Shenandoah was dry docked for repairs. The diary goes into extensive detail on major events including the encounter with authorities in Melbourne and Liverpool, the capturing of vessels and crews for the year 1865, encounters with the natives, and interactions among Shenandoah officers. A June 22nd entry refers to the "Sophia Thorton" ship Lt. Scales boarded. The ship "made some show of escape by standing on through the ice, but a shot from one of the rifle guns brought her to." He continues, "out of these vessels we have heard the most disheartening news I have ever heard from our poor suffering country. The captures of Savannah, Charleston, ..Richmond together with the surrender of Lee, with an army of 22,000 men - with this also comes the tradgical death of the "Rail Splitter" by the hand of an assasin. This will, of course, make a hero of him --". His last entry on this day, "To the part of this news relating to the surrender of Lee's army + the disbanding of those not surrendered, I give no credence at all......I think however we should struggle on to the last, and if as the yankee papers say ---Davis crosses the Mississippi to establish a Confederacy there. I for one shall follow and join him rather than subject to Yankee rule." On August 3rd, Lt. Scales writes, "How shall I attempt to describe the change that has come over the officers and crew of this ship within the last twenty four hours. I can only write a few unintelligible words that may serve to recall to my mind what my own feelings were yesterday afternoon...we came in sight of a sail - the first seen since we left the Arctic... Barracouta (ship) - boarded her and brought off the news - My G.! What news it was for us.... I was therefore in a measure prepared for either good or bad news but not for such as was in store for me....The only words I caught were - "All over - President Davis and cabinet prisoners in New York - All organized armies surrendered..." Upon arriving at Liverpool in November 1865, Dabney Scales writes on November 6th - "The (British) pilot boarded us in the mid watch this morning. His news confirms that given us by the "Barracouta" - the downfall of the Southern Confederacy. The war, he said had been over so long that people had forgotten all about it." While many of these events have been published in previous books on the Shenandoah, this diary represents new primary source material previously unavailable. Regarding the partial journal of the whaling ship "Edward" starting May 5th 1864 and ending December 1st 1864 (17 pages), the author writes of Right whales sightings and discusses and event Nov. 29th where a whale was struck and capsized the boat. 2nd grouping - 1/4 plate ambrotype of Confederate Dabney Scales in uniform with hand tinted gold highlights, CDV of Lt. Dabney Scales taken in Melbourne, Austrailia. Marked verso "Johnstone & Co. Melbourne", 3 7/8_ x 2 1/2_, and a CDV of the ship, CSS Shenandoah, 3 3/4_ x 2 3/8_. Last item - Author signed book/pamplet titled, "Cruises of the Confederate States Steamers "Shenandoah" and "Nashville" by Captain William C. Whittle, 1910. Page 32 signed, "For D. M. Scales from Yours Sincerely Wm C Whittle March 31st 1910_. Cover is marked in black pen, "Dabney M. Scales compliments of the Author". Provenance - Direct descendant of Lt. Dabney Scales.
Condition
1st item - Journal missing cover, binding loose and frayed, several pages separated, edges of several pages charred and worn. All pages appear to be legible. Diary page size 8 1/2" x 13 3/8". 2nd item - Ambrotype with cover unattached, Dabney Scales CDV with tape verso, Shenandoah CDV trimmed. and CDVs in verso. 3rd item - pamplet/book in overall very good condition with some browning to covers.
- Shipping Info
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Buyer Pays Shipping Cost – Buyers will be responsible for making shipping arrangements through our recommended shippers or a shipper of your choice. For shipping estimates, contact these shippers with the lot number(s) or a shipper of your choice. Our recommended shippers follow:
- Package Manager of Knoxville (865-584-3000, ask for Gwynn, info@packagemanager.net)
- The UPS Store of Northshore Knoxville (865-951-2499, ask for Jonathan, store6461@theupsstore.com)
- The UPS Store ofDowntown Knoxville (865-584-0081, ask for Nathan, store2630@theupsstore.com)
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