Renshaw, Richard T. (1822-1879) Papers from Battle of Roanoke Island to end of war re: torpedoes [decimalized .01-.39]
High-resolution images are available to schools and libraries via subscription to American History, 1493-1943. Check to see if your school or library already has a subscription. Or click here for more information. You may also order a pdf of the image from us here.
Gilder Lehrman Collection #: GLC02254 Author/Creator: Renshaw, Richard T. (1822-1879) Place Written: [various places] Type: Header Record Date: 1862-1865 Pagination: 39 items Order a Copy
This collection is composed of 39 items, including correspondence, general orders, legal documents, and a handwritten manual of arms and drilling. These items are largely associated with R.T. Renshaw, a Union sailor from North Carolina, and document many of the activities of the U.S. Navy in the area off the North Carolina coast, including Albemarle Sound, the Neuse River, Pamlico Sound, and Hatteras Inlet. Renshaw himself authored only a handful of the items gathered here, including two letters (one incomplete) home to his wife Ella (#25 and #38), and a miniature manual of arms (#37). The remaining items in the collection were authored by various Navy commanders, including Gideon Welles (#3), Ambrose Burnside (#35), David D. Porter (#26), Samuel Phillips Lee (#6, 7, 32 and 33), Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough (#1 and #2), and Melancton Smith (#18, 19, and 20). They discuss naval victories, blockading, ammunition and firearms, a survey of Union and captured ships, and lease of civilian schooners after the war. Additionally, the collection contains a postwar document in Spanish (#34) regarding the Virginius incident, and Admiral S.P. Lee's orders to Renshaw dated around the same time from Havana, Cuba (#32 and #33). Arranged chronologically.
Captain Richard T. Renshaw began his naval career as a midshipman in 1838. Prior to his resignation in 1852 he had been commissioned to acting master. When the Civil War broke out, Renshaw reentered the Navy as a lieutenant (1861), served in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and was later promoted to commander (1862) and captain (1868).
Citation Guidelines for Online Resources
The copyright law of the United States (title 17, United States Code) governs the making of photocopies or other reproductions of copyrighted material. Under certain conditions specified in the law, libraries and archives are authorized to furnish a photocopy or other reproduction. One of these specific conditions is that the photocopy or reproduction is not to be “used for any purpose other than private study, scholarship, or research.” If a user makes a request for, or later uses, a photocopy or reproduction for purposes in excess of “fair use,” that user may be liable for copyright infringement. This institution reserves the right to refuse to accept a copying order if, in its judgment, fulfillment of the order would involve violation of copyright law.