Charles Henry Wheelwright letters, 1824-1862 ; bulk: 1842-1862 | WorldCat.org (original) (raw)

Summary:A small collection of letters (1842-1862) written by Charles H. Wheelright (1813-1862), naval surgeon, to his nephew, Edward Wheelright. C. Wheelright entered the navy in 1839 as an assistant surgeon, was promoted to surgeon on 5 April 1854, and was in charge of the U.S. hospital in Pilottown, La, at the time of his death in 1862. Most of his letters were written while he served on numerous vessels including the U.S.S. Savannah, U.S.S. Powhatan, U.S.S. Plymouth, U.S.S. Saratoga; also letters written while he worked at the naval hospital in Pensacola, Fla., and while on leave in Boston. Two 1854 letters describe the activities of Commodore Matthew C. Perry and the U.S. delegation to Japan during the treaty negotiations that led to the opening of trade between the two countries, and the letters of spring 1862 include accounts of Civil War action along the Virginia coast. Letters also describe areas visited, ship maneuvers, on-board incidents, remedies, and comments on factors affecting the health of the crew. The collection also includes several pages of medical prescriptions