Series 30. Richard Worsam Meade, 2nd (1836-1865, 1871, 1976)
Scope and Content
The collection is comprised of materials related to the crew of brig Washington and prize claims for capture of Amistad; correspondence and records from Meade's command of various vessels and at the New York Navy Yard; detailed information about San Jacinto under his command, including the salvage of its equipment after it was wrecked; materials related to the inquiry into John McLaughlin's conduct during the Florida campaign against the Seminole Indians; Meade's efforts to make Spanish translations of notable American documents available after the Mexican-American War; a statement from his estate; and a newspaper clipping about the reconstructed Amistad's participation in Operation Sail.
One of the lists of officers aboard Washington during its capture of Amistad and the prize money apportioned is dated April 23, 1800: this appears to be an error in transcription from an original.
Meade's role in the expedition to map Colombia's Atrato River is not clear from the correspondence: its mission was to map possible transisthmian sites before Panama was eventually chosen.
The foldered log books of North Carolina appear to have been disbound from a volume similar to others in the collection. General orders have been pasted over the logbook entries in some places.
The Spanish translations of various documents of American freedom, and correspondence documenting efforts to have them distributed to new Spanish-speaking citizens, are undated. They may date to soon after the annexation of Texas and other Spanish-speaking territories as a result of the Mexican-American War that ended in 1848.
Much of the early correspondence bears the date, added in pencil, of the collection's acquisition by the Naval History Society: May 3, 1934. The subject of a few documents has been written on them in blue pencil.
All the volumes show the bookplate of Richard Worsam Meade (a heraldic crest bearing the motto "Toujours prest") as well as a sticker with the Naval History Society's seal that reads "From the Library of Richard Worsam Meade 4th (1870-1833), son of Richard Worsam Meade (3rd), Rear Admiral U.S.N., presented by Mrs. Richard Worsam Meade (4th), May 3, 1934".
Portions of this collection relating to the Civil War have been digitized and are available to on-site researchers and to users affiliated with subscribing institutions via EBSCOhost.
Related Materials at The New-York Historical Society
In 1862, San Jacinto was under the command of Theodore Greene. His correspondence from 1863 to 1864 aboard that vessel forms part of Series 23 and was donated to the Naval History Society by Mrs. Meade as part of her 1934 gift.
Arrangement
The loose materials had previously been arranged in chronological order by subject, with printed materials gathered together at the end. The thematic divisions have been retained but all foldered materials are now in chronological order.
Biographical Note
1807: Richard Worsam Meade 2nd born in Spain
1826: Enters Navy as midshipman
1826-1836: Serves aboard Brandywine, St. Louis
1836: Marries Clara Forsyth Meigs
1837: Son Richard Worsam Meade 3rd (see Series 31) born New York City
1837: Promoted to lieutenant; serves with US Coast Survey, at New York Navy Yard, aboard steamer Fulton and storeship Erie
1839: Lieutenant under Captain Gedney aboard brig Washington at capture of slave ship Amistad off Long Island coast, August
1840s: Fulfils intermittent naval service while awaiting orders
1847: Assigned to steamer Scourge
1851: Resigns commission
1854-1855: Resumes service as commanding officer aboard steamship Massachusetts in the Pacific Squadron
1855: Resigns commission
1861: Returns to active duty as Commander of receiving ship North Carolina at New York, on which new recruits are housed and trained before receiving their permanent assignments
1864: Promoted to captain, commanding officer aboard San Jacinto during its pursuit and capture of various Confederate ships supplying southern ports
1865: Supervises salvage of guns and equipment when San Jacinto strikes a reef off Great Abaco Island, Bahamas, January 1
1867: Retires from active service
1870: Dies Brooklyn, New York, April