Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the U.S.S. Columbia, 1844-1907 (bulk 1844): Finding Aid

History of U.S.S. Columbia (Frigate)

The frigate U.S.S. Columbia was built at the Washington Navy Yard. Although her keel was laid down in 1825, she was not launched until March 9, 1836.

On her first cruise from May 1838 to June 1840, with Lieutenant George A. Magruder in command, Columbia rounded the Cape of Good Hope to become flagship of Commodore George C. Read's East India Squadron. She returned to the United States by way of Cape Horn, one of the first U.S. Navy ships to circumnavigate the globe.

Columbia served as flagship of the Home Squadron from January to May 1842; cruised on the Brazil Station between July 1842 and February 1844; and in the Mediterranean from May to December 1844. She returned to the Brazil Station as flagship between November 1845 and October 1847, and was placed in ordinary at Norfolk Navy Yard upon her return home. Except for a cruise as flagship of the Home Squadron from January 1853 to March 1855, she remained at Norfolk until the outbreak of the Civil War. Columbia was scuttled and burned by Union forces to avoid her capture by Confederates upon the surrender of Norfolk Navy Yard on April 21, 1861. Following the close of the war she was raised and sold at Norfolk on October 10, 1867.

Biographical Chronology of John R. Goldsborough

1824

• On November 16, warranted a Midshipman in the United States Navy and later put to sea aboard U.S.S. North Carolina (Ship-of-the-line) and U.S.S. Warren (Sloop-f-war) in the Mediterranean.

1832

• On April 28, promoted to Passed Midshipman.

1837

• On September 6, promoted to Lieutenant.

1844

• Assigned to duty with the Coast Survey.

1847

• Helps institute the modern buoy system, first recommended by George Mifflin Bache, while in command of U.S.S. Wave (Schooner) of the Coast Survey.

1850

• Detached from duty with the Coast Survey.

1855

• On September 14, promoted to Commander.

1861

• On May 16, places U.S.S. Union (Gunboat) in commission as her commanding officer.
• On October 5, places U.S.S. Goldsborough (Side-wheel steamer) in commission as her commanding officer.

1862

• On July 16, promoted to Captain.

1863

• In March, assumes command of U.S.S. Colorado (Screw frigate).

1865

• On November 20, assumes command of U.S.S. Shenandoah (Screw sloop-of-war) upon her recommissioning for service on the Asiatic Station.

1867

• On April 13, promoted to Commodore.

1870

• On July 2, retires from the United States Navy.

1877

• On June 22, dies in Philadelphia.

Description of Contents

The Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the U.S.S. Columbia, comprising 0.17 linear feet of documentation in a single volume of 103 leaves, was produced in 1844 and includes several additional documents from 1846, 1905, and 1907.

Produced by Lieutenant John Rodgers Goldsborough, the volume consists primarily of the watch, quarter and station bills of the U.S.S. Columbia, with subsections for the quarter bill; regulations for carrying hammocks; fire bill; mooring and unmooring; making sails in getting underway; tacking and wearing; reefing topsails; loosing and furling; anchoring and furling sails; boat crew fighting bill; and watch bill. Included with the bills are a list of officers attached to the Columbia, the ship's internal regulations, and dimensions of the Columbia.

At the end of the volume are the battle stations of U.S.S. Ohio (Battleship: BB-12), dating from 1905, which were added by the volume's donor, W. W. Buchanan. Tipped into the front of the volume is a list of officers of U.S.S. Boston (Sloop-of-war) from 1846, and a memo regarding the donation of the volume, dated 1907.

Although the contents of the volume pertain to U.S.S. Columbia, the title page reads "Watch, quarter, & station bill of the U.S. Ship Columbus, bearing the broad pennant of Commodore C. W. Morgan." Likewise, the spine label reads "U.S. Ship Columbus." The volume's creator, John R. Goldsborough, served aboard Columbus prior to being transferred to Columbia.

Arrangement

The Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the U.S.S. Columbia comprises a single volume.

Access and Use

Access

Patron use restricted to microfilm.

Copyright and Permission

The Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the U.S.S. Columbia 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.

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.

Acquisition and Appraisal

Provenance and Acquisition

Gift of W. W. Buchanan in 1907. Accession No. 48341.

Related Materials

Location of Copies or Alternate Formats

This collection also available on microfilm.

Related Archival Material

Additional material pertaining to U.S.S. Columbia in this repository can be found in the Joseph Foster Green papers, 1844-1873, MS 369 and the Journal of the U.S.S. Columbia and U.S.S. Mississippi, 1843-1846, MS 272.

Official logbooks of U.S.S. Columbia may be available in Logbooks of U.S. Navy Ships, ca. 1801 - 1940, Record Group 24: Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, 1798-2007 at the National Archives and Records Administration.

Twenty-five letters from Goldsborough's service in and after the Civil War comprise the John R. Goldsborough papers (1861-1867) at the University of Michigan.

Materials Cataloged Separately

No materials have been removed from this collection and cataloged separately.

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Watch, Quarter, and Station Bill of the U.S.S. Columbia, MS 77

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

The following sources were consulted during preparation of the biographical note:

Callahan, Edward. List of Officers of the Navy of the United States and of the Marine Corps from 1775 to 1900. New York: L.R. Hamersly & Co., 1901.

"Columbia I (Frigate)." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington: Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/c/columbia-i.html.

"Florida II (Sidewheel Steamer)." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington: Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/f/florida-ii.html.

"Shenandoah I (ScSlp)." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington: Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/s/shenandoah-i.html.

"Union III (ScGbt)." Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Washington: Naval History and Heritage Command, 2015, https://www.history.navy.mil/research/histories/ship-histories/danfs/u/union-iii.html.

"The Rebirth of the Survey," on an archived version of the National Oceanographic Data Center's website, accessed April 15, 2020, https://web.archive.org/web/20141109093503/http://www.lib.noaa.gov/noaainfo/heritage/coastsurveyvol1/HASSLER3.html#REBIRTH.

Vermaaten, Sally and Cheney J. Schopieray, et al. "John R. Goldsborough papers (1861-1867) Finding Aid," University of Michigan, Clements Library.

Processing Information

This collection was processed by Mary R. Catalfamo. Finding aid written by David D'Onofrio in April 2020.

Subject Headings

Name and Subject Terms

• Boston (Sloop-of-war)
• Columbia (Frigate)
• Ohio (Battleship : BB-12)
• United States. Navy -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
• United States. Navy -- Regulations

Genre Terms

• Manuscripts
• Ships' logs

Additional Creator/Author

• Buchanan, W. W.