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George W. Storer Brazil Squadron Papers

This collection documents much of George Washington Storer's long career in theUnited States Navy as captain, lieutenant, and commander-in-chief of the BrazilSquadron, and also offers a wide-ranging look at the role of the United StatesNavy, primarily during the 1830s and 1840s, as a peacekeeper and a deterrent tothe slave trade.Series 1, "Naval Service as Lieutenant and Captain, 1817-1845," containscorrespondence; ship information; and official United States Navy records, suchas circulars, orders, and regulations. As an officer rising in rank within theUnited States Navy, Storer corresponded with many naval officers, includingJames Biddle, John Downes, Lawrence Kearny, Charles Morris, and J.K. Paulding(Secretary of the Navy). He also corresponded with American consuls, R.M.Hamilton (Montevideo) and Alexander Lyler (Bahia). It appears that Storer tookgreat pride in his work in the Navy, creating records documenting his ownservice as well as those who served with him. For several ships on which heserved and the Portsmouth Navy Yard, there are lists of officers and crew, andorders. This material is arranged alphabetically within the series.Series 2, "Naval Service as Commander-in-Chief of Brazil Squadron, 1847-1851,"documents the many facets of the duties of the Brazil Squadron. Although itsprimary task was "protecting American interests and trade," (Canney, page 111),the Brazil Squadron tended to a variety of American interests includingdiplomacy with Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina; and increasingly, after 1847, theenforcement of the long-standing ban on the American participation in thetrans-Atlantic slave trade. This series includes correspondence with prominentnaval officers and diplomats, information regarding ships (both United StatesNavy ships and slave ships), and a few official United States Navy records. Inregards to diplomacy, Storer corresponded with H.H. Cocke, R.M. Hamilton, W.A.Harris, Thomas J. Morgan, and David Tod, all of whom were American diplomats inSouth America. In addition, Storer became involved in a case of a British youthwho stowed away on one of his ships; a mob which attacked American citizens onthe Brazilian island of Santa Catarina; and the ongoing Siege of Montevideo.This series also includes numerous documents which relate directly to theefforts against the slave trade. Storer's 1847 initial orders from the Secretaryof the Navy, John Y. Mason, include a mandate for "the repression of the slavetrade," to "use every effort to arrest and bring to well merited punishment allpersons who on the open seas may disgrace the American flag by making it in anyway subservient to the pursuit or protection of this most nefarious commerce"(Box 2, Folder 9). Most dramatic is a long November 1848 letter from John I.Taylor reporting on the discovery of a slave trading port at Cabo Frio, Brazil(Box 2, Folder 20). Several letters describe ships that were searched orimpounded by the Americans or British, often drawing lengthy protests from theBrazilians, including files relating to the successful capture of the slaver Laurens by the USS Onkahye on January 23, 1848 (Box 3, Folder 17) and correspondenceand reports relating to suspected, and on occasion, actual slave ships Casco, Flora, Imogen, Kingston, and Paulina. The material is arrangedalphabetically within the series.Series 3, "Naval Service as Governor of the Naval Asylum at Philadelphia andPresident of the Court of Inquiry #3, 1852-1858," documents the later years ofGeorge W. Storer's naval career. For several years, Storer was on leave, but heappears to have been anxious to return to service. On July 1, 1854, he receivedorders from James C. Dobbin, Secretary of the Navy, to serve as governor of theNaval Asylum at Philadelphia, a hospital and home for retired sailors which waslocated on the Schuylkill River. During his service as governor, Storer had adispute with William H. Gordon, an officer with whom he worked, regarding Gordonnot following an order. This dispute is documented with letters from both Storerand Gordon to Dobbin. In 1857, the Secretary of the Navy, Isaac Toucey, orderedStorer to serve as president of the Court of Inquiry #3, which resulted from an1855 congressional act attempting to promote efficiency in the Navy by removingmore than two hundred officers from service. Material largely consists of ordersto testify for particular officers, but does include lists of officers affectedby the Court of Inquiry.The final series, "Personal and Family Papers, 1842-1868," contains a fewpersonal materials of George W. Storer, including correspondence about a libraryand grocery accounts, and materials belonging to his sons, Jacob J. Storer,Robert Storer, and Samuel Storer. Robert Storer served in the Navy and includedare an official leave of absence and an order, as well as a letter from hisfather. While extremely small in quantity, this series provides a more personaland intimate view of George W. Storer and his role as a father, rather than anaval officer. Of interest is a letter from Samuel Storer at the time of hiswife's death when he was in Sitka, Alaska.Works Cited: Canney, Donald L. Afica Squadron: The U.S. Navy and the Slave Trade, 1842-1861. Washington, D.C.: Potomac Books, Inc.,2006.