Series 40. Edward Hallam Saltonstall (1861-1862)
Scope and Content
The series consists of the diary of Edward Hallam Saltonstall, captain's clerk aboard the gunboat Ottawa in 1861 and 1862 under the command of Lt. Thomas Holdup Stephens. In the volume were placed a letter dated November 10, 1861 and signed "Affectionately, Edward"; his orders appointing him captain's clerk; a typed list of officers of Ottawa, which appears in the diary; and the carbon copy of a typed transcript of entries from the diary. The diary provides accounts of the activities of Ottawa and other ships, mostly in South Carolina and Florida, including landings, bombardments, and enemy activities.
The volume is available on microfilm. The materials in this collection have been digitized and are available online to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
Historical Note
USS Ottawa was commissioned in October, 1861, under Captain Stephens' command. It patrolled the waters off the Carolinas, Georgia, and Florida during the Civil War as part of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. During that time it assisted in operations against ships and land installations, including the capture of Forts Walker and Beauregard (Port Royal Sound, South Carolina) in November, 1861; the landing of troops at Warsaw Sound, Georgia, in January, 1862; and the capture of Fernandina, Florida, in March of that year.