Description:

John A. Dahlgren Works with Foundry Owners Before the Civil War and Commands Blockading Squadron During Civil War

JOHN A. DAHLGREN, Manuscript Letter Signed, to Charles Knap and William Wade, January 16, 1855. 1 p. Together with four printed orders, signed in print by Dahlgren aboard his flagship the USS Philadelphia, August 17, 1864–May 22, 1865. 5 pp., various sizes. Expected folds on letter; very good; some scattered staining and adhesive residue on orders, not affecting readability.

In this interesting letter, John A. Dahlgren, ordnance officer at the Washington Navy Yard, tells the partners of the Fort Pitt Foundry that he has sent a pattern for locklugs for the 9-in. shell gun, likely of his own design. While at the Navy Yard, Dahlgren devised a smoothbore howitzer for use on ships and shore batteries. He also introduced a muzzle-loading cannon with superior range and accuracy that became known as the Dahlgren gun. It was the Union Navy’s standard armament during the Civil War.

Founded in 1814 by Joseph McClurg, the Fort Pitt Foundry had several owners over the next half century, including the partnership of Charles Knap Jr. (1816-1888) and William Wade (1789-1875) from 1852 to 1858.

Complete Transcript of Letter:

Ordnance Office U.S. Navy Yard
Washington, January 16th 1855.
Gentlemen,
A pattern for the Locklugs of the IXin Shell Gun was sent you by Rail Road on the 12th instant. I hope it may reach you safely.
Very respectfully
Jno A Dahlgren
Messrs. Knap & Wade
Fort Pitt Foundry / Pittsburgh, / Pa.

In February 1863, Dahlgren took command of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron as a Rear Admiral. His flagship was the USS Philadelphia, a side-wheel, iron-hulled steamer built in Chester, Pennsylvania, in 1859. The mission of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron was to intercept all ships attempting to enter or leave blockaded southern ports in South Carolina, Georgia, and the Atlantic coast of Florida. A counterpart North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and parallel East and West Gulf Blockading Squadrons completed the coverage of the Confederate coast.

Excerpts from Orders:

Order No. 64, August 17, 1864
On the 30th July, Acting Vol. Lieut. R. P. Swann, commanding U.S.S. Potomska, penetrated with his boats in the vicinity of Darien, Ga., and destroyed several extensive Salt Works.

Order No. 97, November 22, 1864
Vessels on Blockade will be careful to scout thoroughly the rivers or estuaries where they may be, and as far as it is possible to do so; the object being to keep advised of the Rebel positions and forces,—also to gain all early information from deserters and refugees of movements elsewhere, whether of our own forces or the Rebels. Anything new in relation to the movements of the Union forces under General Sherman, or generally important, will be immediately transmitted to me.

After capturing Atlanta, Georgia, in September 1864, General William T. Sherman and his army cut ties with their supply lines on November 15 and marched southeast through Georgia. The army supplied its needs by foraging food from local farms, while destroying the transportation, manufacturing, and agricultural infrastructure of Georgia. Both President Abraham Lincoln and General Ulysses S. Grant had serious reservations about Sherman’s plan, and they anxiously awaited news from Sherman. His forces first made contact with the U.S. Navy on December 12, and the city of Savannah surrendered to Sherman’s forces on December 20. Sherman presented the city to President Lincoln as a Christmas gift.

Order No. 98, November 26, 1864, 2 pp.
With a view to probable contingencies, a Corps of Howitzers and Seamen with Marines will be organized without delay.
Each howitzer will be in charge of a section (20 men), thirteen of whom will be assigned solely to the service of the howitzer, and the other seven will be armed with the Plymouth muskets. The Battalion of Skirmishers will be formed into sections, half companies and companies, armed with the Plymouth muskets. The Marines will be divided into companies of fifty men.
The Marines are to be drilled as Skirmishers, and will always form on the Artillery—in action. On the march they will be thrown out to the front and flanks as skirmishers.

John A. Dahlgren (1809-1870) was born in Philadelphia to the Swedish consul in the city and joined the U.S. Navy as a midshipman in 1826. After working on the coastal survey beginning in 1834, he was promoted to ordnance officer in 1847 and stationed at the Washington Navy Yard. He founded the U.S. Navy’s ordnance department and made major advances in gunnery. During the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Dahlgren to captain and made him chief of the Bureau of Ordnance. Promoted to Rear Admiral in February 1863, Dahlgren took command of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, where he worked with General Quincy A. Gillmore on the siege of Charleston and with General William T. Sherman on the capture of Savannah in December 1864. After the war, he commanded the South Pacific Squadron from 1867 to 1869, before returning to the Washington Navy Yard.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

International shipments: In order to comply with our insurance provider, all international shipments will be sent via Fed Ex and customs paperwork will show a value of $1.00. International buyers should contact our office directly with any questions regarding this policy.

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.


Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

September 30, 2020 10:30 AM EDT
Wilton, CT, US

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of up to 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000