Conditions Governing Reproduction and Use

The copyright status of this collection is unknown. Copyright restrictions may apply. Contact Special Collections and University Archives for assistance in determining the use of these materials.

Reproduction or digitization of materials for personal or research use can be requested using our reproduction/digitization form: http://bit.ly/scuareproduction . Reproduction or digitization of materials for publication or exhibit use can be requested using our publication/exhibition form: http://bit.ly/scuapublication . Please contact Special Collections and University Archives (specref@vt.edu or 540-231-6308) if you need assistance with forms or to submit a completed form.

Conditions Governing Access

The collection is open for research.

Preferred Citation

Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information: [identification of item], [box], [folder], USS Pittsburg Paymaster's Ledger, Ms2009-026, Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va.

Source of Acquisition

The USS Pittsburg Paymaster's Ledger was purchased by Special Collections in 2008.

Processing Information

The processing and description of the USS Pittsburg Paymaster's Ledger commenced and was completed in February 2009.

Historical Note

The USS Pittsburg (sometimes spelled the " Pittsburgh "), an ironclad gunboat, was built at St. Louis Missouri and commissioned for service in January 1862, with Lieutenant Egbert Thompson commanding, during the American Civil War. Joining the U. S. Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla, the Pittsburg sustained damage during the bombardment of Fort Donelson, Tennessee. Following repairs, the gunboat participated in the sieges of Mississippi River Island 10 and Fort Pillow later that spring. The Pittsburg was transferred to U. S. Navy service on October 1, 1862 and joined in operations on the Yazoo River and Steele's Bayou, Mississippi. In April 1863, the gunboat successfully passed Confederate emplacements at Vicksburg and led the attack at Grand Gulf. In 1864, the Pittsburg joined the Red River Expedition. The gunboat was decommissioned after the war and sold in November 1865.

The USS Shawmut was a steamship commissioned for service in the U.S. Navy in 1864. With Lt. Commander George U. Morris commanding, the Shawmut served primarily as a gunboat within the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In 1865, it was refitted for foreign service and soon afterward sailed to Brazil Station, where it served a year before being decommissioned in December 1866. Recommissioned in August 1867, the gunboat served in the North Atlantic Squadron until July 1868, and again from March 1871 until January 1877. The USS Shawmut was decommissioned and sold to E. Stannard & Co. in September 1877.

Biographical Note

George Upham Morris was born in Massachusetts in 1830 and commissioned a U. S. Navy midshipman in 1846. By March 1862, Morris was a lieutenant in temporary command of the USS Cumberland when that vessel was sunk by the CSS Virginia during the American Civil War. Promoted to lieutenant-commander in July 1862, Morris was placed in command of the gunboat Port Royal , serving in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron and later the Western Gulf Blockading Squadron. He took command of the USS Shawmut in 1864, serving in that position until 1866, when given command of the Brooklyn . Morris retired from the navy in 1874 and died the following year.

Scope and Content

This collection contains a paymaster's ledger from an unidentified Union Navy ship during the American Civil War. Research on the crewmembers named within the ledger suggests that the item originated from the USS Pittsburg . The ledger contains the names of 169 sailors and records the pay issued to each in the form of clothing, personal goods from small stores, and money. Listed among the crew are two "contrabands," African Americans who had escaped slavery and joined Union military forces.

The collection also contains a single payroll sheet listing officers of an unidentified ship. Again based on research on individual names--including those of George U. Morris, commander; and B. J. Cromwell, lieutenant-commander--the item seems likely to have been from the USS Shawmut . The sheet contains names of officers, their rank, and pay.

Subjects and Indexing Terms

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

Rights Statement for Archival Description

The guide to the USS Pittsburg Paymaster's Ledger by Special Collections and University Archives, Virginia Tech, is licensed under a CC0 ( https://creativecommons.org/share-your-work/public-domain/cc0/ ).