Wood engraving from John Frost's The Book of the Navy, 1842.
Wood engraving from John Frost's The Book of the Navy, 1842.

Guide to the Journal of the U.S.S. Prometheus and the U.S.S. Franklin, 1817-1818

MS 1

A collection in the
Special Collections & Archives Department,
Nimitz Library

Naval Academy Seal

United States Naval Academy
589 McNair Road
Annapolis, MD 21402-5029

Prepared by: Mary R. Catalfamo

May 2004

Descriptive Summary

Provenance:
The Journal of the U.S.S. Prometheus and the U.S.S. Franklin was donated to the United States Naval Academy Library by [Letitia Buchanan?]. Accession No. 49335.
Size:
1 volume.
Access:
Access to the Journal of the U. S. S. Prometheus and the U.S.S. Franklin is restricted to microfilm.
Copyright:
The Journal of the U. S. S. Prometheus and the U. S. S. Franklin is the physical property of Nimitz Library. Copyright belongs to the authors or creators of the works, or their legal representatives. For further information, consult the Head, Special Collections & Archives.
Permission:
It is the responsibility of the researcher to secure written permission to publish, reprint, or reproduce material from Special Collections & Archives. The researcher assumes responsibility for infringement of copyright or literary or publication rights. Please contact the Head, Special Collections & Archives for permission to publish and for further information
Preferred Citation:
Journal of the U.S.S. Prometheus and the U.S.S. Franklin, MS 1
Special Collections & Archives Department
Nimitz Library
United States Naval Academy

Scope and Content Note

Midshipman Franklin Buchanan (1800-1874) kept this journal as part of his naval training. The first few pages cover the cruise of the Prometheus (brig) from Newport, Rhode Island to Portland, Maine between 13 July and 16 July 1817. In 1817, the Prometheus was employed in surveying the U.S. coast north of Newport.

The bulk of the journal is devoted to the first cruise of the Franklin (ship-of –the-line) and spans the dates 23 November 1817 to 25 August 1818. The Franklin carried Richard Rush, the U.S. minister to Great Britain, to his post. Also on board was Commodore Charles Stewart, who was to take command of the Mediterranean Squadron. The Franklin reached England in December and joined the Mediterranean Squadron at Syracuse in Sicily on 29 January 1818. On 1 February, Commodore Stewart took command, making the Franklin the flagship of the squadron.

Among the daily activities and events Buchanan recorded are the departure from the ship of Rush and his party for London, the Russian fleet anchored off Spithead, and three Portuguese frigates and a brig blockading a Tunisian sloop of war and schooner in Gibraltar Bay.