Buy this book on-line

JOHN D. INGRAHAM, JR : 1863 + 1873 ORIGINAL HANDWRITTEN MANUSCRIPT LOGBOOK OF ONE MAN’S LIFE ABOARD TWO DIFFERENT NEW ENGLAND SCHOONERS, THE ‘FREDERICK HALL’ AND THE ‘HENRIETTA’ WITH DETAILED ENTRIES OF CARGO LISTS, SHIPPING COSTS, AND DAILY ONBOARD OBSERVATIONS

8vo - over 7¾" - 9¾" tall. On offer is a wildly interesting personal journal from Civil War and post-Civil War Era America. It is the logbook of John D. Ingraham, Jr. of Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut, while onboard the schooner "Frederick Hall, " in 1863-1864, as well as Accounts for the schooner "Henrietta," in 1873. The volume includes three sections. The first of which is a 14 page logbook for the schooner Frederick Hall, written in ink, and dated 26 February 1863 to 26 July 1864. It is titled, “A log commenced by John D. Ingraham Jr on board Sch. Frederick Hall Feb. 26 1863.” Second is a section of 18 pages of accounts for the schooner Henrietta, dated 8 March - 26 November 1873. These accounts include the amounts of freight, costs, charges, and disbursements. This section is written in ink as well as pencil. The third and final section, is unsigned and undated and consists of a 36 page piece entitled, ”A Letter from Heaven, New Jerusalem Kingdom of Heaven, Now & Eternity - Rev. 111-12.” This is written in pencil. There are also a couple pages of memoranda, notes and calculations. The log book for the ’Frederick Hall’ records several trips that were made to Boston, New York City, Hartford, and Philadelphia to pick up coal at Philadelphia's Port Richmond coal terminal. The log includes meteorology and weather conditions, various observations and sightings, notes on the cargo being either loaded or unloaded, plus other occurrences of shipboard life, such as receiving letters from home, the common drunkenness of crew members, and notes on Ingraham's personal life and potential problems with alcohol abuse himself. Some examples: “March 1, 1863. Sunrise. Wind NE. Gaining a number of vessels in the harbord. 5 P.M. Wind SW. Blowing heavy.”; “March 6. Wind SSW. Snowing commenced. Discharging stone evening.”; ”July 24, 1864. Wind light to the North all day - 4 PM finished loading at pier 18. Port Richmond. With coal bound to Bar Harbor. Cook Charles McKinney run away leaving one months wages due him. 6 PM hauled out of the slick and anchored.”; In 1864 Ingraham writes: "1864 On Board Schr Fred Hall. A Journal kept by J. D. Ingraham, Jr., commencing July 23d 1864. After looking at 25 years & six months misspent time am resolved to do very different the rest of my life." He continues on the next page, "Saybrook Point. May 3, 1866. John D. Ingraham promises not to drink any more Liquor. Not one drop.” The section of the log book on the schooner ’Henrietta’, records the amounts of freight charges for various items transported, such as: “Apr. 23, 1873, 145 tons Coal - $188.50”; "May 30, 1873, Freight on Stove facing $ 150.00"; “Nov. 13, 1873, Freight on Apples - $362.66.” There are also accounts of other charges such as commission, loading, tonnage bills, etc. Then there are accounts for disbursements, chandlery charges, repairs, rigging bills, port charges, etc. A couple of pages have various calculations. This section is about 15 pages long. Finally, the “Letter from Heaven” begins on the other end of the book and seems to be a sermon given by Ingraham. It begins, “My dear Audience, Sisters, and Bros.: Whom I have taught through the Great Bible Drama of Human Life from San Francisco, Cal. to N.Y. City and Boston. Since I left yr. City I have seen all the gr. Cities of America and very near all the wonderful works of man...But what are all these things for I am told that ‘In the presence of Eternity the mntns. Are as transient as the clouds.’” I have not been able to find the resulting 36 pages in any publication, so it is likely that the essay is original. The essay intersects with the Schooner ‘Harriet’ calculations for about 10 pages. The covers and spine have some noticeable wear, the binding is worn at extremities, there is some scuffing and rubbing as well and the back cover is only about 3/4ths attached to the spine. The book is bound in quarter leather and marbled paper covered boards. There are approximately 70 manuscript pages, in good condition. The handwriting is legible throughout, and mostly unfaded and unsmudged. The pencil is a bit fainter and can be occasionally slightly more difficult to read. (Background: John D. Ingraham, Jr. (1839-1875) was born on 6 May 1839, the son of John Dickinson Ingraham and his wife, Almira Whittlesey Mother, of Saybrook, Middlesex County, Connecticut. In the 1860 and 1870 Census, John Jr. is found as a single man, living at home with his parents. In both census records he was listed as a "pilot" with his father listed as a "mariner.") OVERALL: G. Manuscript. Book Condition: Good

Bibliophile Bookbase for antiquarian books, maps and prints.