To My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, 1853-1855
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To My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, 1853-1855
264Overview
George B. Gideon Jr. served as second assistant engineer aboard the USS Powhatan from 1852 to 1856. From his position on the steam frigate, Gideon traveled to Singapore, Labuan, Borneo, Hong Kong, and many other Asian lands. During his time at sea, Gideon penned dozens of letters to his wife, Lide, back home in Philadelphia. Recently discovered in the attic of his great-great-grandniece, were fifty-one letters penned by Gideon providing thorough and insightful commentary throughout the voyage.
Through these correspondences, Gideon laboriously documents the details of his daily life on board, from the food they ate to the technical aspects of his work, as well as observations concerning the historical events unfolding around him, such as Chinese piracy, the Taiping Rebellion, the Crimean War, and the devastation of Shimoda. To My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry’s Expedition to Japan, 1853–1855 is a rare first-person account of the landmark American naval expedition to Japan to establish commercial relations between the two countries. Gideon’s letters have been meticulously transcribed and annotated by the editors and are an invaluable primary historical source.
Gideon’s letters are candid and revealing, delving into the rampant dysfunction in the navy of the 1850s—sickness and disease, alcohol abuse, and poor leadership, among other challenges. Gideon also unabashedly shares his own cynical views of the navy’s role in supporting American economic interests in Japan. This firsthand account of the political mission of the Perry expedition is a unique contribution to naval and military history and gives readers a better view of life aboard a navy ship.
Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9780817392376 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | University of Alabama Press |
| Publication date: | 07/16/2019 |
| Series: | Maritime Currents: History and Archaeology |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 264 |
| File size: | 4 MB |
About the Author
David A. Ranzan is university archivist and special collections librarian and associate professor at Adelphi University. He is the editor of Surviving Andersonville: One Prisoner’s Recollections of the Civil War’s Most Notorious Camp and coeditor of With Commodore Perry to Japan: The Journal of William Speiden Jr., 1852–1855 and Hero of Fort Schuyler: Selected Revolutionary War Correspondence of Brigadier General Peter Gansevoort, Jr.
Read an Excerpt
CHAPTER 1
February 13–April 19, 1853
Powhatan, [February 13, 1853] 10 O'clock PM My Dearest Devoted Lide,
We're off for Japan! We may remain in the Roads tonight, but I think not however, of this I'll inform you before I close. [...] Don't fret. I'll keep you as well aware of the progress of the Japanese squadron as I can be made aware myself. I don't think anyone of us will regret the cruise. I think I will kiss you again before the collapse of two years!
I'll write to you from Madeira. [...] Kellogg and I are on watch together. He is a fine fellow. He has been on Steamers before too! He was in Collins Line. I didn't think to tell the Post Master to forward the letters. [...] Direct as I did in the envelope, it makes no difference whether it goes by the Cunard Line, Collins Line, the Southampton Line or any other, it will go to London and Mr. Goodan will forward it. You pay 28 cents. I pay the rest. When you write tell me everything. Where you are, how they treat you and everything, but for my sake Lide, don't make any more beds. Don't clean any more chambers. Be a Lady. I know that you can be my housekeeper when necessary. We are now off Old Point, the Rip Raps on our right. We do not stop, but go right to sea.
Whipple, Kellogg, and Gideon are in cahoots. King is disposed to take the right side. I think I can fix him. Farons comb will be cut before he returns. I will be ahead of him yet. I gave up the privilege of sleeping in the mess room to Kellogg. Mr. Faron said that it was my place or Mr. Kings. I told Mr. Faron that I and I alone had to decide that matter. [...] Therefore as I preferred sleeping below I would exchange with Mr. Kellogg. [...] Mr. Kellogg and Mr. Gideon are a match together and Mr. Kellogg is Mr. Gideons friend. He goes just where I wanted him to go. Sewell asked me who I wanted on watch with me, I told him I wanted the man who by right, etiquette and law, was to go with me, that I can do my duty, and would make my assistant dohis. Mr. Kellogg is the man because he outranks both Fauth and Arnold. My more tender feelings would prompt me to ask for Kellogg, but so far as duty is concerned I care not who it is. I can do mine and know how to make him do his. No doubt Mr. Fauth is huffed because he is not. He is with a Man, not a fool! I am glad that Mr. Kellogg is on watch with me. Nothing could have suited me better.
* * *
U.S. Ste. Powhatan, At Sea Lat. 32°04 Lon. 24°21, Feb 28th 1853
My Dearest Lide,
We have now been at sea 15 days and have yet to run some 400 miles before reaching Madeira. The passage so far has been a very rough one indeed. The sea running tremendously the whole time, and as yet we have not had one hour smooth weather. The wind for the majority of the time has been ahead. Blowing strong. We had a gale of wind last week and such pitching and rolling as was done by the Powhatan I never saw before; and I hope that I may never see again. The Capt. too is afraid to burn a sufficient amount of coal to make the ship run. We could easily leverage 10 miles an hour with an economical expenditure of coal, but no! We must only burn so much. The Mississippi only burns that much. Now whether he is prejudiced in favor of the Mississippi, and don't want the Powhatan to make better time, I can't say but it looks indeed very much like it. Several times the wind has hauled so that we could use our sails, and on every such occasion the Capt. would issue an order to reduce the expenditure of coal. As it is we will make the run in just about the same time as the Mississippi.
I have been sea sick since the 1st day out. Though for the past 2 or 3 days I've been much better. For about 10 days I felt most horrible, and when called to take my watch I felt like one having a death sentence read to him. I couldn't eat nor could I drink, but you have been so and know the feeling. I never gave up, and as yet have never lost a watch at sea. I am hoping now that I'll get over it. I feel pretty well today though I have a dullness and swimming in the head. The Voyage has been so monotonous. A most perfect sameness around everything and everybody. We have seen only two or three vessels since we left, and have not spoken.
One Mr. Kellogg tries to make it appear that he is just as well satisfied as if he had been left attached to the Princeton, but I openly assert that he is not. And it sometimes shows itself through his expressions, for he will say sometimes that he had nothing to do there but dress up, keep clean and visit the ladies. Now full of grease, salt, coal dust and tallow. Salt horse and hard tack in place of roast beef and good biscuits. Soppy musty dirty water in place of good pure wholesome water. But he don't get sea sick and I do. Now my getting sick don't give me any better food or water than he gets for its all alike. Therefore if he should like it, that most horrible home with nothing but a crust for a daily meal to cross the Atlantic Ocean is an idiot.
Tuesday March 1st Our mess is composed of the most uncongenial spirits that ever convened. Fauth and Stamm are hand and glove with one another and judging from the sincerity with which they support each other and each other's opinions they must have taken a solemn vow for each other's mutual protection. Old Whipple, he is a queer fellow, but a good kind hearted soul as ever lived, he gets about 2/3rds drunk and then he is in an official or dignified humor. He loves power and authority.
Every evening except Sunday we have a Grand Concert in the Passed Midshipman Mess Room. Lieut. Boudinot, leader of the band, Passed Mid. Selden second violin, McCaul[e]y and Bibby on the flute. Dr. Wheelwright, guitar and a Diego boy on the guitar also. Jno. Wilson does the singing assisted by Schaffer (Masters Mate). They play very well together, and some evenings the steerage is full. Every Officer in the ship save the Capt. and 1st Lieut. have been in there at one time.
I think that the cruise will be a most interesting one. I think also that we will not go to Japan. But anon of this. Write according to the directions I gave you. Write at least once a month and tell me everything that happens. How you are and all you know.
I wish I could have had 3 or 4 more of those calico shirts made. They are just the thing in the Engine Room. I am in hopes that there will be an English Man of War at Madeira so that I that I can get some white flannels. They serve out the best kind of white, and we serve out that nasty blue stuff. I think of trading off some of my Canton flannel ones. They will never be of any use to me, for I will never throw off flannel such as I now wear.
I have read another novel since we left, called Ernest Maltravers. One of Bulwers. Oh! How horrible I feel when I first get up from a sleep. Every bone aches. Losing sleep, irregular living is the cause of it. I am not the only one either who keeps sea sick. The Capt. of Marines is sick all the time. He was once sea sick 74 days!
What descriptions of our cruise are in contemplation? Faron takes his ideas from Colton's book. A description of Madeira is in it. I saw him writing from the book the other day. The two books are called Ship and Shore by Walter Colton and the other Deck and Port by Colton. Buy them and read them. I have glanced occasionally at them and I think they will be very interesting.
We were 210 miles from Madeira at noon today and in order to get there tomorrow the Capt. has issued an order to burn more coal, so we are now going along as they say in Virginia "right smart" and there is no doubt but that we will be there tomorrow, and thus be 17 days out.
There will be certainly will be an examination for promotion very soon, and the sooner the better, for I'm going to post myself up before our return and in passing the "back pay" will come in very well, and at the expiration of my leave I can do my best to get ordered to the Michigan. That would be nice.
* * *
U.S. Ste. Powhatan, Funchal Roads, Madeira, March 6th 1853
My Dear Lide,
We were a little over 17 days, and about 17 days from the time we discharged the Pilot off the Capes. [...] We stopped 3 times on our way at sea. Once to examine the wheels and once to key up the drag links. Then on the morning of the 1st (the day before we got in) fire was discovered around the smoke pipe, occasioned by the pipes being too close to the beam and hatch combing and the absence of a water jacket, which the constructors of the ship neglected to put in. The fire was put out without much trouble and a watch kept over it until we got in, and as soon as we did we examined everything and found that no, or but very little damage had been done. An order was immediately given to make a jacket and prevent anything of the kind occurring again. The jacket will be finished on Tuesday morning.
The day after we got here we commenced coaling and continued until last night when we finished. Thus coaling the ship in less time, yes in less than half the time that she was ever coaled before. On the 3rd we had a Madeira dinner. We sat down to roast and boiled chickens, roast beef, good fresh bread, lettuce, green peas, tomatoes, string beans, sweet potatoes and real Irish potatoes. Then a few bottles of good old Madeira to wash it down, and a smoke of a good cigar after made me feel pretty well. Now imagine how hungry I was, what an appetite I had, and how I relished all. Having been sea sick for nearly the entire run from Norfolk, and while I was so that I could not eat all the poultry was done away with, and there was for the last week out nothing but salt horse and hams which I couldn't eat, and had to survive on hard tack and molasses. Today we have had radishes, lettuce and peas. Fine fish and excellent turtle soup. Yet I've said nothing about the oranges and bananas! I eat about 3 oranges every morning before I turn out. They are great things in the morning. The Spanish proverb says of oranges that they are "gold in the morning, silver at noon and lead at night." The bananas I don't eat. But this is all on board the ship. I must now take you ashore.
On Friday Mr. Kellogg and myself went ashore for the purpose of visiting the Grand Corral, and Mr. Kellogg said that he intends to stand on as high a peak as any man had ever been on that island. The Island itself as you view it from sea is truly grand, sublime, magnificent. A clear day it is really beautiful and on cloudy days you lose sight of the tops of peaks in the clouds. They look as if they were something or that a vapour or fog was rising from them. Mr. K[ellogg] and I started. In the first place as our own boats cannot land for the surf, we had to cull one of the Portuguese boats, which hover around the ship in great numbers and go ashore in that we got in the boat and was pulled to within a rod or two of the shore when suddenly they whirled the boat around, one of the men rolled up his pants as high as he could and run along the gunwale of the boat to the stern, and watching a breaker setting in they pulled or backed their oars and the one man jumped out and held her where she was, then when the sea receded we jumped out on the land. The boat is then hauled completely out of the water and remains "high and dry" until someone wants to go off. They charged us 40 cents apiece for landing us, which was an extortion, the regular price being but 20 cents, and only 5 cents to their own "kin" however the novelty of landing was worth the money, and probably the poor devils had not made as much in a long time before, and pehaps 'twill be a long time before they make as much again.
We had no sooner struck the land than we were beset by at least 50 beggars and fellows wanting to show us around, get horses for us and guide us generally so that we could see the elephants. Without paying any attention to their mixture of English and Portuguese we continued our way, somewhere. Didn't know where we in reality were going. At last we brought up in front of the stables, and we were again beset by at least 30 or 40 saddled horses and men anxious each that we should take his horse. As it was impossible to choose, after a little astonishment at such perseverance and I may say impertinence we succeeded in getting horses tail. No matter how fast we went, gallop trot or walk, these poor fools still held on, and now we come to steep and rugged ascent, and narrow paths at that, over stones and rocks, up, up, up wonderful how the horses manage to keep their footing, and as much as how these poor devils of men can stand such fatigue. At last after a most perilous passage over the stones and rocks and mountains, hills out of the question, we at last tired, sore and bruised reached the Corral. We had to go, for turn back was out of the question. The path being too narrow to turn around on, and even an attempt would probably result in tumbling horse, rider and "tail holder" to the bottom. But the Corral, it is a deep valley or gorge in the mountains, green with vegetation, wild flowers, and beautiful streamlets running down its sides and along its bottom. It is indeed a beautiful place. In fact really most grand and magnificent. Kellogg would still go on, but I was so tired and sore that I had to remain and wait for him. He saw nothing more, only stood a little higher up than I did.
After a stroll around for about an hour we prepared to return, and again mounting our horses, with the men at our "tails" we started. The going down I thought, and in fact it is more dangerous than going up. The horses would tread at times so carefully that you would think they were going to stop. But after a great deal of anxiety on at least my part we arrived on a level or pretty safe footing. All and all the ride was a great novelty, and such a one as I don't wish to repeat. After paying the fellows who followed us and held the horse's tails 50 cents we paid someone $2.00 apiece for the use of the horses.
While going, and coming from the Corral we met a great many of those women who carry bundles of brush, or a kind of hay used for fuel. These poor creatures had no shoes on, and but very little clothing. A mere wrapper of calico extending a few inches below their knees. Their legs and feet bare and rough. Awful looking shins they had, and how in the world they can withstand the travelling up and down those rugged heights over sharp rocks and stones with their enormous bundles (sometimes larger than two of their bodies) I can't understand. But they do it and without a murmur.
We took a look around the city after our return and a cleaner place I never saw. It's all "downhill" and fine pure water runs along each side of the street. We were met by cripples, beggars, sick ladies and gentlemen being carried through the street on their palankeens [palanquins]. The more you give the darned beggars the more they ask. If you give them anything they stow it away and commence begging of you again. It is also a place of profligacy. More wretchedness, pollution and degradation is met in this little city than in any other place I have ever seen. It's truly disgusting. It is said that over 3/4ths of the children here are bastards. But after taking a glass of their Madeira I came on board heartily tired and sore from my ride and without the least desire to go ashore anymore.
Today [Monday] we have taken on board several casks of wine for some of the Mississippi's Officers, and 2 casks for the President of the U.S. and 2 for the Secretary of the Navy. The President and Secretaries wine being presents from our Consul here, Mr. Marsh. They are now watering the ship and finish this evening. Tomorrow (Tuesday March 8th) we sail. I'm glad of it, although I feel so bad when at sea, yet I want to be off. It's more expensive here than at sea, for the mess bill is more.
Commodore Perry left word for Capt. McCluney, or a letter I should say, stating that he would make the run from here to Cape Town in 33 days and he expected that we ought to make it 20. We do not stop either at Ascension or St. Helena if we can help it. We may carry the trade winds to 3 or 4 degrees south of the line or to the line, and during that time we will not steam any but use the sails altogether. I expect to melt crossing the line. From Cape Town we go to Madagascar to look after some pirates or to chastise the inhabitants. I can't learn exactly what, but it appears that a ship called the West Wind was wrecked and the crew that escaped from the wreck to the shore were murdered. That's one yarn. Another is that the whole neighborhood is infested with pirates and that they intercept vessels from Australia. I am of the opinion that our cruise will be confined to the China Seas and that we will see no more of Japan than you will. How I would like to know who the Sec. of the Navy is. I guess Stockton.
(Continues…)
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Table of Contents
List of Illustrations
Preface
Chronology
Introduction
Chapter One. February 13–April 19, 1853
Chapter Two. August 30–December 29, 1853
Chapter Three. January 1–June 23, 1854
Chapter Four. July 3–December 28, 1854
Chapter Five. January 1–June 27, 1855
Chapter Six. July 2–December 23, 1855
Notes
Bibliography
Index