Journal of Chas. G. Fleming, U.S.S. Penobscot, 1866-1867: Finding Aid

History of Penobscot (Gunboat)

The first U.S.S. Penobscot, built by C. P. Carter of Belfast, Maine, was launched on November 19, 1861 and delivered to the Navy at Boston on January 16, 1862. Assigned initially to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, Penobscot destroyed her first Confederate vessel, the schooner Sereta, off Shallotte Inlet, North Carolina, on June 8, 1862. On August 1, she seized the sloop Lizzie off New Inlet and on October 22, the British brig Robert Burns off Cape Fear. Again off Shallotte Inlet on November 3, she forced the British ship Pathfinder aground, then destroyed her. Continuing her patrol of the Carolina coast into the summer of 1863, she forced the blockade runner Kate ashore at Smith's Island on July 12.

Transferred to the Gulf of Mexico, Penobscot joined the blockade ships cruising off the Texas coast. In early January 1864, she provided support for troops landed on the Matagorda Peninsula on December 31. On February 28, she seized the British schooner Lilly attempting to run the blockade at Velasco to deliver her cargo of powder. The following day, she captured schooners Stingray and John Douglas, carrying cotton outward bound. On July 12, off Galveston, she intercepted the schooner James Williams with a cargo of medicine, coffee, and liquor.

As the Civil War was drawing to a close, Penobscot made her last interceptions on February 18, 1865. She forced the schooners Mary Agnes and Louisa ashore at Aransas Pass and destroyed them the next day. After the war Penobscot returned to the east coast. She decommissioned at New York July 31, 1865 and on October 19, 1869 was sold, at Portsmouth, New Hampshire, to Nehemiah Gibson.

Description of Contents

The Journal of Chas. G. Fleming, U.S.S. Penobscot, comprising 0.09 linear feet of documentation in a single volume of 17 leaves, spans from December 18, 1866 to June 17, 1867. The journal, kept by Captain's Clerk Charles G. Fleming, is the product of the Penobscot's cruise from New York to the Caribbean under the command of Charles E. Fleming.

The journal records daily events, steaming condition, and ship's location, as well as descriptions of St. Thomas, Barbados, Georgetown (British Guiana), and Cayenne (French Guiana).

Arrangement

The Journal of Chas. G. Fleming, U.S.S. Penobscot comprises a single volume.

Access and Use

Access

Patron use restricted to microfilm.

Copyright and Permission

The Journal of Chas. G. Fleming, U.S.S. Penobscot 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

Accession No. 141676.

Related Materials

Location of Copies or Alternate Formats

This collection also available on microfilm.

Related Archival Material

Official logbooks of U.S.S. Penobscot 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.

Materials Cataloged Separately

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

Processing and Other Information

Preferred Citation

Journal of Chas. G. Fleming, U.S.S. Penobscot, MS 104

Special Collections & Archives Department

Nimitz Library

United States Naval Academy

Selected Bibliography

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

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

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

• Fleming, Charles G.
• Penobscot (Gunboat)
• United States. Navy -- History -- 19th century -- Sources
• West Indies -- Description and travel

Genre Terms

• Journals (accounts)
• Manuscripts
• Ships' logs