Description:

(UNION NAVY) USS OWASCO COMMANDER HENRY WILSON, COURT-MARTIALED FOR LOSING GALVESTON
A fine pair of signed items related to U.S. Navy officer Henry Wilson, commander of the gunboat USS OWASCO, includes: A fine signed carte de visite photograph, 2.5 x 4 in. sepia, a ¾ seated view of Wilson in uniform, with his sword in hand. He signs beneath the image ‘Yours Truly Wils- U. S. N.' in black ink. The image bears no backstamp, and is trimmed at the edges, otherwise in very good condition. WITH: A.E.S. on a good association partly-printed D.S., 1p. 4to., Washington, D.C., Nov. 15, 1869, from Bureau of Navigation chief JAMES ALDEN JR. (1810-1877), ordering 1st Asst. Engineer D. P. MaCartney to report to New York for duty aboard the steamer USS FROLIC. Alden signs at the conclusion in violet ink. Below, the order is endorsed by SILAS H. STRINGHAM (1798-1876) as port admiral of New York, acknowledging that McCartney reported for duty and was directed to report to the Frolic. He signs ‘S. H. Stringham' in black ink. Finally, the order is endorsed by Wilson as commander of the Frolic at lower left in black ink, acknowledging that McCartney reported for duty. Shows folds, trimmed at the edges and with some paper loss at top left, otherwise in very good condition. USS OWASCO was an Unadilla-class ‘90-day' gunboat commissioned in January of 1862. She participated in Farragut's run past Forts St. Philip and Jackson to capture New Orleans, protecting the mortar fleet charged with suppressing the Confederate batteries. She later performed the same service during Farragut's advance on Vicksburg. At the end of 1862, she participated in the bombardment and capture of Galveston, but on New Years' Day of 1863 was driven off by Confederate cotton-clad gunboats, which captured the USS HARRIET LANE and covered the recapture of the city by the Confederate Army. Wilson was court-martialed for his role in the debacle, but was exonerated.

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March 27, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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