Guide to the Journal of the U.S.S. Franklin and the U.S.S. Erie , 1817-1819

Midshipman Samuel F. Du Pont (1803-1865) kept this journal as part of his naval training. About half of the volume covers the first cruise of the Franklin (ship-of-the-line) from the United States to England and then to the Mediterranean during the period 24 November 1817 to 17 November 1818. The Franklin was the flagship of the Mediterranean Squadron and cruised on that station until March 1820. Du Pont served aboard the Franklin with Midshipman Franklin Buchanan, whose journals of the cruise are the Special Collections & Archives Department’s MS 1 and MS 2. On 18 November 1818, Commodore Charles Stewart ordered Du Pont to join the Erie (sloop-of-war), one of the vessels of the Mediterranean Squadron. The portion of Du Pont’s journal related to the Erie spans the dates 18 November 1818 to 1 October 1819.

Du Pont recorded that on 10 July 1819 all hands were mustered and a general order of the commodore was read. On 22 July 1819, the appointment of Lieutenant Robert F. Stockton as commander of the ship was read to the assembled crew. He replaced Master Commandant Henry E. Ballard, who had taken command of the ship in November of the previous year. Commanding officers were supposed to examine the midshipmen’s work, and Stockton’s signature appears in numerous places, indicating that he reviewed Du Pont’s entries. Ballard’s signature does not appear, suggesting that he was not as attentive to this duty.