The Complete, Signed Naval Academy Yearbook for the Class of 1860, the Final Graduating Class Before the Outbreak of War, Picturing All of the Class Members and the Leadership of the Academy

This contains an image of a black servant on the campus, George Brown

 

Very rare in this full form, this was 1860 Lt. Commander Moses Sherwood Stuyvesant’s copy, obtained by us from his descendants

 

The men who signed this book went on, very shortly after, to fight against each other

The Naval Academy was founded in 1845, but the first graduating class was in 1854. The class of 1860 was thus just the sixth class, and it was composed of 25 cadets. They graduated during a time of significant political unrest and the looming Civil War, and after war broke out in 1861, some served with the Union and some the Confederacy. Notable figures from the Class of 1860 include: Charles Read, who joined the Confederate Navy and who was nicknamed the “Seawolf of the Confederacy” for his exploits and daring; William Cushing, who was known for his daring feat of sinking the Confederate ironclad Albemarle; and Winfield Scott Schley, who was promoted by President William McKinley to the rank of rear admiral for his victory over the Spanish fleet during the Spanish-American War, August 1898, and his heroic role in winning the Battle of Santiago. He was Commander of the South Atlantic Squadron from 1898-1901.

Moses Sherwood Stuyvesant was in the Class of 1860. He was assigned to the U.S.S. Cumberland as aide to Commodore George J. Pendergrast, the Cumberland being his flagship. When war erupted the vessel went to Norfolk, Virginia. While there, the Navy Yard was partly destroyed and abandoned, and the Cumberland was placed on blockade duty, and took part in the capture of Forts Hatteras and Clark. Writing of this last, Stuyvesant calls attention to the fact that “it was probably the last fight in which a ship was handled under sail. All other vessels present were steamships…” On March 8, 1862, the old frigate Cumberland was sunk by the powerful guns of the ironclad Merrimac. This was a historic event and saw an epic clash between old and new technology. Stuyvesant reportedly refused to let the flag come down: “No, the ship will sink in fifteen minutes, and she will look a d-d sight better with her flag up.” In this battle he was wounded in the arm and commanded two crews of survivors who manned land guns during the next day’s battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac. He later wrote a famous paper describing the sinking of the Cumberland. In 1862, he was a Lieutenant with the U.S. Steam Sloop Housatonic. In early 1864, the Housatonic, was outside Charleston when the CSS submarine Hunley paddled out and sent her to the bottom. He was then assigned to the Monitor Weehawken. The Weehawken sank at her anchors while off Charleston, Stuyvesant being the last to leave her. His next duty was on the U.S. Steam Frigate Minnesota, then in Hampton Roads, Virginia, and he was with her in both attacks on Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865.

In 1866, he was assigned to the double turreted U.S. Steamer Miantonomah, and, as her Commander, then having the rank of Lieutenant-Commander, he made with her the memorable cruise across the Atlantic and through the North Sea, the Baltic and then through the Mediterranean, in 1866 and 1867. This was part of a visit to Russia ordered by Congress.

The US Naval Academy published yearbooks that were essentially class photograph albums containing portraits of the class midshipmen. Generally photographs of leaders of the Academy, groups of midshipmen, buildings, and grounds were also included. This is Moses Sherwood Stuyvesant’s yearbook for the Class of 1860, obtained by us from the Stuyvesant descendants. The blue cover has an eagle and anchor. There are 31 people pictured in the yearbook, many of whom have signed under their photographs. Stuyvesant identified the others in his hand. Some pages are loose but the album is in very good condition overall.

The following photographs are in the yearbook:

Heads of the Naval Academy:

Commodore George S. Blake, Superintendent of the U.S. Naval Academy

Thomas Craven, Commandant of Midshipmen

Lieut. Samuel Marcy, Assistant at the Academy

Lieut. Edward Simpson, Head of the Department of Ordnance and Gunnery

James Ward, Commandant of Midshipmen

The Entire Graduating Class of 1860:

Sullivan Ames RI

William Barton MD

Francis S. Brown, NY

Silas Casey III NY (son of Union general Silas Casey)

Thomas L. Dornin VA

S.P. Gillette IN

Thomas Harrison VA

Francis L. Hoge VA

F.D. Hoole AL

10 H. DeHaven Manley PA

J.D. Marvin OH

A.R. McNair MO

John O’Kane IN

S.D. Paddock OH

Charles W. Read MS

E.G. Read VA

Henry Bellows Robeson CT

Winfield Scott Schley MD

Moses Sherwood Stuyvesant OH

Thomas L. Swann MD

J.L. Tayloe VA

Edward Walker MA

J.J. Crittenden Watson KY

A.D. Wharton TN

William Whitehead PA

There are also photos of:

The Chapel, with the Observatory on the left

The Mess Hall

Midshipmen on review

George Brown’s photograph and mark (as a signature), with description “Chambermaid.” It shows a black man, clearly a servant. The likelihood is that he was not a slave when he worked at Annapolis, but may have been previously.

Tipped in the album are:

Annual examination list June 1859 listing the midshipmen and their exam results for their various courses

Stuyvesant’s marriage certificate to Harriet Crowninshield

This is a fascinating look into the Naval Academy on the brink of the Civl War. It is a great rarity and it is not known how many of these 1860 yearbooks survive.