Guide to the Henry Knox Thatcher papers, 1833-1866

John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Box A
Brown University
Providence, RI 02912
Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148
Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Published in 2023

Collection Overview

Title:	Henry Knox Thatcher papers
Date range:	1833-1866
Creator:	Thatcher, Henry Knox, 1806-1880
Extent:	0.25 Linear Feet 21 items
Abstract:	The Henry Knox Thatcher papers consist of an oil painting of the U.S.S. Constellation, military memorabilia, and three journals and logs kept by Thatcher while on board several ships, including the U.S.S. Brandywine (1839-1841) and the U.S.S. Constellation (1862-1863). The journals reflect ship life, diversions on shore, the social and political climate of his time, and the duties of American ships in the Mediterranean during the early years of the Civil War.
Language of materials:	English
Repository:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts
Collection number:	Ms.79.5

Scope & content

This collection consists of a painting of the U.S.S. Constellation, military regalia, and Thatcher's military commissions, appointments, and journals. The journals, 1839-1863, reflect intermittently Thatcher's personal and professional development, and also the gradual shift in his focus from his own immediate concerns to the historical and political events around him. He describes his life aboard ship, weather conditions, disciplinary actions, as well as visits to and from cities. His descriptions of the Mediterranean area are of particular interest. The social life of the officers and their diplomatic contacts are also reported. Finally, the journals reflect the contrast in Thatcher's concerns before and during the Civil War.

Generally, this collection is of limited scope in respect to Thatcher's own life, but it is of great interest regarding the life of naval officers while on tours of duty.

Access Points

Subject Names

• De Simone, Tamaso
• Johnson, Andrew, 1808-1875
• Jackson, Andrew, 1767-1845
• Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869
• Lincoln, Abraham, 1809-1865
• Thatcher, Henry Knox, 1806-1880

Subject Topics

• United States. Navy -- History -- 1800-1899
• United States. Navy -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865
• United States. Navy -- Sea life
• Naval history -- 1800-1899
• Seafaring life
• Voyages and travels
• Constellation (Frigate)

Geographical Names

• United States -- History -- Civil War, 1861-1865 -- Naval operations

Occupations

• Sailors
• Admirals
• Ship captains
• Officers, Military and naval

Document Types

• Diaries
• oil paintings
• Pamphlets
• Military commissions

Arrangement

The collection is arranged in two series. Series 1 contains a painting of the U.S.S. Constellation and military regalia. Series 2 contains Thatcher's military commissions, appointments, and journals from 1839-1863:

• Series 1. Naval memorabilia
• Series 2. Manuscripts and related items

Biographical note

/>Henry Knox Thatcher was born in Thomaston, Maine, to Ebenezer and Lucy Flucker (Knox) Thatcher in 1806. A grandson of Gen. Henry Knox, the famed artillery commander of the Continental Army, young Thatcher was destined for a military life. Yet although appointed to the Military Academy at West Point in 1822, he was absent on sick leave for most of his first year and finally submitted his resignation in April 1823. In fact, he had merely exchanged the academic training at West Point for a practical course in the United States Navy, which he entered as midshipman in March 1823.

Thatcher passed his course as midshipman in March 1829 and began his rise through the ranks. In 1833, he was promoted to Lieutenant, and achieved the rank of Commander in 1855. After commanding first the Sloop Decator in the Pacific and the Sloop Constellation in the Mediterranean, he was appointed as Commodore in 1862 without ever having held the rank of Captain. Thatcher returned from the Mediterranean in July 1863 to take charge of the Union steam frigate Colorado, then serving on the North Atlantic blockade of the Southern states. He rose to the rank of Acting Rear Admiral in advance of his regular promotion to that grade, and succeeded Vice-Admiral Farragut in command of the Union's Western Gulf squadron at Mobile. There he conducted joint military operations with the Union Army that resulted in the surrender of the city and the Confederate fleet. This success was followed by the quick submission of other Confederate strongholds on the Gulf, and on June 2nd, 1865, Thatcher's squadron took Galveston (Texas) without opposition, thereby restoring the entire Gulf coast to the Union. Thatcher commanded the consolidated Gulf squadrons until May 1866, and thereafter led the North Pacific squadron until August 1868. While in command of the North Pacific squadron he was presented with a medal and made a knight of the order of Kamehameha I by the king of the Hawaiian islands, an honor that he was permitted to accept by virtue of a special Act of Congress. Thatcher was commissioned Rear Admiral on July 25, 1866, and retired in May 1868.

After his retirement from active service, Thatcher served as Port Admiral in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, from 1869 to 1871. Upon stepping down from this post, he and his family established residence at Winchester, Massachusetts, where he spent the remaining 9 years of his life as a distinguished citizen. He died, after a long illness, in 1880.

Access & Use

Access to the collection:	There are no restrictions on access, except that the collection can only be seen by prior appointment. Some materials may be stored off-site and cannot be produced on the same day on which they are requested.
Use of the materials:	Researchers are advised that express written permission to reproduce, quote, or otherwise publish any portion or extract from this collection must be obtained from the Brown University Library. Although Brown University has physical ownership of the collection and the materials contained therein, it does not claim literary rights. It is up to the researcher to determine the owners of the literary rights and to obtain any necessary permissions from them.
Preferred citation:	Henry Knox Thatcher papers, Ms. 79.5, Brown University Library.
Contact information:	John Hay Library, University Archives and Manuscripts Box A Brown University Providence, RI 02912 Telephone: Manuscripts: 401-863-3723; University Archives: 401-863-2148 Email: Manuscripts: hay@brown.edu; University Archives: archives@brown.edu

Administrative Information

ABOUT THE COLLECTION
Acquisition:	Gift of Gilbert Verney to Brown University prior to 1965; transferred to the Brown University Library in 1966.
Processing information:	Painting "U.S.S. Constellation" by Tamaso de Simone separated from this collection.
ABOUT THE FINDING AID
Author:	Rita Warnock, Manuscripts Processor, under the direction of Clifton H. Jones, Manuscripts Curator.
Encoding:	This finding aid was produced using ArchivesSpace on 2023-10-10.
Descriptive rules:	Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Additional Information

Related material:

Related Archival Materials note RESOURCES AT BROWN:Thatcher, Henry Knox, 1806-1880. Letter, 1870, May, Portsmouth, N. H., to H. H. Tilley Related Archival Materials note RESOURCES BEYOND BROWN:U.S.S. ConstellationTown of Winchester, MassachusettsNaval Historical Center (Washington, D.C.)Montpelier: The General Henry Knox Museum (Thomaston, Maine)The Special Collections Research Center at Syracuse University Library holds a collection of papers of H. K. Thatcher dating from 1867 to 1868. A description of this collection can be found in the National Union Catalog of Manuscript Collections as NUCMC entry 68-1762.

Other information:

Brown University Library catalog record for this collection: Henry Knox Thatcher papers

Inventory

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