Description:

Perry Matthew

Matthew C. Perry, En Route to Key West, Denies Allegations that he Abandoned American Merchant Ship

 

An important letter from an under-documented and overlooked period of Perry's career! 4pp autograph letter inscribed overall by American naval officer Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858), and signed by him as "M.C. Perry" at the center of the fourth and last page. Written in Saratoga, New York on August 20, 1823. On watermarked cream bifold paper. With expected paper folds, some well-worn and with minor closed tears. Overall light toning and isolated discoloration. Some fading to parts of the text but with a large and bold signature measuring 2.75" x .875" alone. 7.75" x 12.75".

 

Matthew C. Perry, captain of the U.S.S. Shark, wrote Secretary of the Navy Smith Thompson (1768-1843) in the summer of 1823. Perry wanted to defend himself against accusations that he had denied military escort to an American merchant ship bound for New Orleans. In his eloquent defense, Perry provided a detailed description of his actions, which included waiting 24 hours for the vessel to clear a sandbar. Ultimately, Perry felt that he could no longer wait and hurried away to reconnoiter with Commodore David Porter, stationed at Thompson's Island (Key West, Florida).

 

In full, with unchanged spelling and punctuation. Paragraph breaks have been added for improved legibility.

 

"Saratoga N York

 

August 20th 1823

 

Sir

 

I have the honor to enclose herewith a Paragraph which appeared in a New Orleans paper and which I trust will be reviewed by the Departt -. in its fine lights as a most scandalous libel upon my official character -

 

The facts in regard to the Schooner Jane are as follows - I had sailed from Vera Cruz for Tampico, in great haste understanding from the officers of the Peacock that Comt Porter was anxiously awaiting my arrival at Thompsons Island, It was therefore impossible for me to be long detained at Tampico, I consequently on my arrival at that place, adapted my strict practice of offering protection to all vessels bound in the direction of my route, which was through the Straits of Florida, the only application for convoy was by Capt. Carson, of the Schooner Jane bound to New Orleans, whose request I at first refused to comply with as it would have taken me in a directly contrary direction from my prescribed route And would have been at variance with the supposed wishes of Comt. Porter

 

Upon reflection however I came to the determination of waiting 24 hours for the Jane intending to have convoyed her 200 miles clear off the coast, and gave notice to the Capt. and Consignee, that I should sail positively at the expiration of that period whether the vessel was over the Bar or not, my anchorage at the time being extremely dangerous. - at the end of the prescribed time, I got  under way, stood in towards the Bar, fired a Gun, and made the usual signal which the Jane did not answer one of my Boats came off at the time, with an officer of the Shark, who reported that the Jane could not get over the Bar without taking out part of her Cargo, therefore knowing the delay consequent upon such an operation in that country and thinking it probable that she might be detained in the River for some days, I conceived it my duty to proceed on my destined route,

 

In regard to the money, I merely informed the Consignee who expressed to me his fears for the Safety of the $20,000 onbd. the Jane, that I had been ordered to take onbd. specie belonging to Americans, and that he might if he felt disposed send it onbd. the Shark. He replied that he should have preferd to have sent it in the Shark but that he had insured the amount in the Jane,

 

So far, Sir, from neglecting to offer assistance to American commerce, whilst in command of the Shark, I have endeavored to be particularly attentive to that part of my duty and felt a consciousness of having performed it faithfully, But have found of experience that it is impossible to meet the views and wishes of the contending interests of so many merchant Captains who seem to think that U.S. vessels ought to be placed at their entire disposal, to await their convenience and to submit to their directions

 

I have several documents in coroboration of this operation, which on my return to New York I shall transmit to the Dept. particularly in the case of the American Schooner Columbus, Altho these now appear so anxious for convoy, they never obey signals, study their own time and Convenience, and Seize every opportunity to find fault neglecting always to acknowledge Services performed -

 

At the period Capt. Carson accuses me of neglecting to protect American shipping, I had in a Gale of wind supplied an American schooner Lying off Tampico Bar with a cable and anchor by which she was probably saved from shipwreck,

 

I have the Honor

to be Respectfully

yr obt Set

 

M.C. Perry

 

Honbl.

Smith Thompson

Sec. G. of the Navy".

 

Captain Matthew C. Perry served in the Caribbean between 1821-1825 in a hotly contested territory infested with pirates. Perry's 12-gun schooner U.S.S. Shark was part of the U.S. Navy's 16-vessel West Indies Squadron, or "Mosquito Fleet". Aboard his flagship the U.S.S. Peacock, Commodore David Porter was tasked with policing Caribbean waters. West Indian piracy, mostly perpetrated by thieves, outcasts, and ex-revolutionaries, had been on the rise since the War of 1812.

 

Commodore Porter outfitted his "Mosquito Fleet" in small, easily navigable vessels which could pursue fast pirate ships in difficult conditions. During his tenure in the Caribbean, Perry and his crew captured three pirate ships including the notorious Bandara d' Sangare (Bloody Flag).

 

The Shark had returned to New York in July 1823 after one of the busiest periods in Perry's life. During 400 days at sail, Perry's sailors boarded nearly 200 vessels, convoyed 30 vessels, provided relief to 5 vessels in distress, and captured 3 pirate ships. The exact details of the episode of the Jane are uncertain, though Perry's frustration is evident.

 

Perry was granted the rank of commodore in 1840. Fourteen years later, Perry compelled the Japanese to open their closed society to trade. This was just the latest act of audacity on the part of the ambitious naval officer; he had stormed Key West and declared it as part of the United States in 1822.

 

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

 

WE PROVIDE IN-HOUSE SHIPPING WORLDWIDE!

Accepted Forms of Payment:

American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Paypal, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

We do our own in-house worldwide shipping!

Applicable shipping and handling charges will be added to the invoice. We offer several shipping options, and remain one of the few auction houses who proudly provides professional in-house shipping as an option to our clients. All items will ship with signature required, and full insurance. Most items are sent via Federal Express, with P. O. Box addresses being sent through USPS. We insure through Berkley Asset Protection with rates of $.70 per $100 of value, among the lowest insurance rates in the industry. Our shipping department cameras document every package, both outgoing and incoming, for maximum security. In addition, we compare our shipping and handling rates against those of other auction houses, to ensure that our charges are among the lowest in the trade.

Upon winning your item(s), you will receive an invoice with our in-house shipping and handling fees included. ***We will ship to the address as it appears on your invoice, unless you inform us otherwise, immediately upon your receipt of invoice***

Third Party Shipping Option: If a third party shipper is preferred, the buyer is responsible for contacting them directly to make shipping arrangements. For your convenience, we have provided some recommended shippers. For your protection, we will require a signed release from you, confirming your authorization for us to release your lots to your specified third party Please copy and paste this following link into your browser: http://universityarchives.com/UserFiles/ShippingInfo.pdf. At that point, our responsibility and insurance coverage for your item(s) ceases. Items picked up by third party shippers are required to pay Connecticut sales tax. Items requiring third party shipping due to being oversized, fragile or bulky will be denoted in the item description.

Please see our full terms and conditions for names of suggested third party shippers.


After payment has been made in full, University Archives will ship your purchase within 5 business days following receipt of full payment for item.Packages shipped internationally will have full value declared on shipping form. International buyers will be responsible for any customs fees incurred.

Please remember that the buyer is responsible for all shipping costs from University Archives' offices in Westport, CT to the buyer's door. Please see full Terms and Conditions of Sale.

University Archives

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 25% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $299 $20
$300 $499 $25
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $2,999 $200
$3,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 + $5,000