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THBCivil War CDV Album of Capt. Robert Townsend of the Ironclad USS Essex, including Staff and Crew
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
With offices in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Denver, Cowan’s holds over 40 auctions each year, with annual sales exceeding $16M. We reach buyers around the globe, and take pride in our reputation for integrity, customer service and great results. A full-service house, Cowan’s Auctions specializes in Am...Read more
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About Auction
LiveJun 22, 2018
Cowan’s American History: Premier Auction, scheduled for June 22, 2018 is comprised of early photographs, documents, manuscripts, broadsides, flags, and more dating from the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, Late Indian Wars, World War I and II and beyond. Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
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- Lot Description
Lot includes album of 43 CDVs, each with verso annotation in Townsend's hand, plus ALS.
Robert Townsend (1819-1866), hailing from the Capital Region of New York, joined the Navy in 1837 and served on several ships before being assigned to the USS Porpoise, aboard which he took part in the capture of Veracruz during the Mexican-American War. He was promoted to first lieutenant in 1850 and resigned from the Navy in 1851. Townsend re-entered the service in September of 1861 and was assigned to Admiral Farragut’s Mortar Flotilla near New Orleans, where he rose to Commander of the USS Miami by October 1862. In 1863 he was appointed commander of the USS Essex, under Admiral David Porter’s Mississippi Squadron.
The Essex was a 1,000-ton ironclad with a crew of 134 and several highly powerful guns, and a key piece of the squadron that was attempting to win control of the Mississippi. Admiral Porter employed the Essex prominently in the Siege of Port Hudson, having her bombard the city daily from May to July, 1863, finally resulting in Confederate surrender and giving the Union a major strategic victory by splitting the Confederacy into two distinct parts, unable to effectively communicate with each other. Essex carried out patrol duty on the Mississippi for most of the remainder of the war, though another action of note was when she made an expedition up the Red River in March 1864 to assist in the capture of Fort de Russy.
Most of the cartes in Townsend’s album were made or at least annotated during a stop in Memphis a few months later, in June 1864. Afterward, Townsend was given command of the USS Wachusett, a sloop-of-war with a crew of 170 men and nine guns, with the mission of tracking down the notorious Confederate blockade runner CSS Shenandoah in Asia. After Shenandoah finally surrendered in England in November 1865, Townsend’s mission was changed to protecting American interests in China, where he died of heat stroke while patrolling the Yangtze River for pirates on August 15, 1866.
Each CDV in the album bears a lengthy verso inscription in Townsend’s hand, with identification, rank, current command or post, promotion history, duties and attachments, past and current accomplishments, date and place of the photograph, birthdate, hometown, and various other information. Many taken at Memphis, on or around June 13 1864, and inscribed by Townsend that week, as many of his men left for other assignments. Crew members of the Essex include: Chief Quartermaster Thomas Bourne, described by Townsend as a decorated “medallist” for gallantry in passing the forts below New Orleans in April 1862, “He is a first-rate Petty Officer and man"; “Gunner’s Crew” of the USS Essex, showing Gunner’s Mate William Young and Quarter Gunners Gordon F. Tracy, Charles J. Drew, and William L. Park, “All of them very good men.” PLUS another of Gunner's Mate William Young, inscribed by Townsend as “An Old Man-of-War’s Man with three honorable discharges; A first-rate Petty Officer and excellent man, though rather fond of his grog"; Quartermaster Alfred Tretch, also “an excellent Petty Officer and man, though like most sailors a little fond of his grog"; Gunner Charles Earnshaw, “An excellent Gunner – intelligent, attentive and careful"; Captain’s Clerk Staniford; Act. Ensign Spencer Johnson (two cartes, one of which is from Memphis); Act. Chief Engineer Jos. K. Heap, who was promoted to his rank by Adm. Porter based on Townsend’s strong recommendation (three different poses, two from Memphis, one from St. Louis, all with copious praise on verso); First Class Pilot William M. Attenborough, “one of the very best Pilots on the River…brave, intelligent, skillful, reliable” and ordered to the Essex for the purpose of attacking the Rebel Ram Arkansas (two cartes); First Class Pilot James B. Aikman, primarily stationed on the Argosy but called to the Essex by Townsend during their expedition up the Red River, due to his “rare knowledge” (two cartes, incl. one signed by Aikman); Master-at-Arms William Brown; Act. Asst. Paymaster Chas. W. Slamm (two cartes, one from New York City and one from Memphis); Acting Master Elias Reese, carte by noted African-American photographers Ball & Thomas, Cincinnati, noting that Townsend sent Reese “who had frequent attacks of Fever” to the hospital upon arrival in Memphis, where he spent a fortnight before being “condemned"; Acting Master John C. Parker, “Executive Officer of the Iron-clad Steamer Essex” and on her since she ran by Vicksburg in July 1862. He was promoted due to “my strong personal as well as official request” to Admiral Porter and Sec. of the Navy Gideon Welles (two cartes); Act. Asst. Surgeon Tomas Allen; Act. 1st Asst. Engineer Joseph S. Hilliard; Act. Ensign Edwin M. Wood; and Act. Ensign James H. Benny.
Cartes of Townsend's superior officers includes Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut, Cmdg W. Gulf Blkdg. Squadron, (two cartes, including a full-length by Anthony and one purchased by Townsend in New Orleans); and Rear Admiral David D. Porter, Cmdg. Mississippi Squadron Com. Porter (two cartes, incl. an Anthony/Brady purchased by Townsend in Memphis in late 1864.
Sailors identified by their rank on the USS Miami, which Townsend commanded directly before the Essex, include: Act. Asst. Paymaster Frank W. Hackett; Act. Ensign Robert W. Rowntree; Act. Master’s Mate John Quevedo, “son of Joe Quevedo, well-known to all old Navy Officers”; Act. Master John Lear; and Asst. Surgeon William B. Mann. The remaining sailors and others are: Acting Ensign John C. Morong, Cmdg. USS Argosy (two cartes, full-length and vignette); Act. Vol. Lieut. Jas. F. Richardson, Cmdg. USS Gen. Price (three very fine cartes, twoof which were taken moments apart in Baton Rouge from the second floor studio of photographer A.D. Lytle showing Richardson and A.A. Paymaster J.W. McClellan on their mounts preparing for a ride around town, the other from the same point of view but showing Richardson in a carriage being driven by an African-American boy); Acting Volunteer Lieutenant Thomas B. Gregory, Cmdg. USS St. Clair (two cartes, including a full-length and a vignette); Mrs. Jas. Watson Webb, wife of the American minister to Brazil, acquired by Townsend at Rio de Janeiro in Aug. 1865; and a portrait of an unidentified boy sailor, taken by J.W. Taft In Memphis.
The ALS included with the lot is 5pp, dated on the US Steamer Wachusett, South Atlantic Ocean, Lat. 32-56’ S, Long. 23-04’W, Oct. 4, 1865, addressed to his son in Syracuse, NY. Bound in a gilt-imprinted leather covers. The elder Townsend wishes his son a happy eleventh birthday, and explains to him how he is now old enough to begin accepting the responsibilities of manhood. He tells his son how he must never take for granted his relatively comfortable position in life, how he must take advantage of his educational opportunities, and how he will have to deal with the “harsh realities of life.” An almost prescient message to his son, as Capt. Townsend would not live to wish him another birthday or even see him in person again.
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