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Table of Contents > War of 1812 > Lot 143 |
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Lot Number: 143
Click for a Printable PageSign-in to Bid or Register to Bid Estimate Range: $1,500 - $2,000 |
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1842 Navy Sloop USS Cyane Shipboard Letter Signed by Midshipmen James Armstrong to his father Captain William Armstrong while en route to “SEIZE” Monterey from Mexico |
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June 24, 1842-Dated, Rare Content Shipboard Autograph Letter Signed, “Jas Armstrong” as Navy midshipman serving aboard the Sloop USS Cyane, "Off the Harbor of Valparaiso", written to his father Captain William Armstrong, while en route to “Seize” Monterey from Mexico, Fine or better. JAMES ARMSTRONG, Autograph Letter Signed, "Off the Harbor of Valparaiso", June 24, 1842, 1 page, measuring about 10” x 9” in nicely handwritten rich brown ink on wove period paper that is easily readable. Overall, clean but for a small piece of remaining red sealing wax, a small 1/2” likely mouse chew hole and a small fold 1” fold split at the 7th line which does not affect its readability. This Letter reads, in full:"Off the Harbor of Valparaiso" / June 24, 1842 -- My Dear Father --- On the 3rd of May, we left Callao for this place with the States, Yorktown, St. Louis and Shark with a light breeze and about sundown we took our Stations... At about the 18th of June we (as we thought) made land which we supposed to be Valparaiso but which afterwards (for we had no Chronometer sites for 2 or 3 days)... proved to be a land 130 or 40 miles to leeward of it so that there was a great laugh at the Commodore's (Jones) navigation. We soon however beat that distance out and arrived here but the Commodore took in his head to come in so that here we are knocking about and not yet even got any fresh provisions. The St. Louis is in this place and so is the Yorktown. We however have been made the market boat for his illustrious majesty the Commodore and have like a true steward bought the things required and are now in pursuit to deliver them. We have been quite in a rage with the Commodore..." In 1842, Commodore Thomas AP Catesby Jones took command of the U.S. Pacific Squadron, consisting of his flagship, the frigate United States, Sloops of war St. Louis, Cyane, Dale, and Yorktown, and the schooner Shark. The boundaries of his station included the entire Pacific coast of America, at a time of tense relations between the United States and Mexico after the Texas Revolution. Commodore Jones' flagship arrived at Valparaiso in May 1842, soon joining the rest of his Squadron, which was anchored at Callao, Peru. This letter, written by a young midshipman aboard the Cyane, writing to his father, a Naval Captain and veteran, records the reuniting of the Squadron - and the unpopularity of Commodore Jones, who insisted on enforcing regulations against drunkenness and dueling, which did not sit well with his junior officers. In the four months that followed, Commodore Jones made history and nearly ended his career. Moved by (Fake) "News" which reached Callao in September, that the United States had gone to “War with Mexico” - and that the “British were about to take California” - Jones' flagship and the USS Cyane, immediately set sail to forestall an expected British Naval occupation. On October 19, 1842, the ships United States and the Cyane sailed into Monterey Bay. Commodore Jones sent ashore his flagship Captain, James Armstrong (namesake of the writer of this letter, but apparently no relation) to demand the ‘Surrender of Monterey, Mexico” to the United States. Mexican officials willingly complied - until the embarrassing word reached Monterey that there was “No War,” and that the British fleet was no where in the vicinity, and that the whole incident was simply a huge Error ! This incident was, of course, only a premature foreshadowing of the real "Capture" of Monterey, and the Seizure of California from Mexico, which would follow just four years later. A remarkable historic Letter, regarding a “FAKE NEWS” created international incident between the United States and Mexico occurring in 1842. |
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Keywords: 1842, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Autograph Letter Signed, Navy, Naval, Valparaiso, Monterey, Mexico, JAMES ARMSTRONG |
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Lot Number: 143
Click for a Printable Page Sign-in to Bid or Register to Bid |
Estimate Range: $1,500 - $2,000 |
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Early American History Auctions, Inc. 1520 Commerce St., # 312 • Winchester, VA 22601 Phone: 858 • 759 • 3290 Email: Auctions@EarlyAmerican.com |
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