Collection Summary
William A. H. Allen Papers
1863-1884
1863-1884
MSS10538
Allen, William A. H.
14 items
8 oversize containers
4 linear feet
3 microfilm reels
English
Collection material in English
Manuscript Division, Library of Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naval officer and engineer. Journals with
photographs, sketches, and illustrations describing Allen's activities while serving in
the United States Navy during the Civil War, subsequently on ships in the Mediterranean,
Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and at stations on the east and west coasts of the United
States and Europe.
Selected Search Terms
The following terms have been used to index the description of this collection in the LC Catalog. They are grouped by name of person or organization, by subject or location, and by occupation and listed alphabetically.
People
Allen, William A. H.
Organizations
Cayuga (Screw steamer)
Circassian (Iron screw steamer)
Lancaster (Sloop of war)
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Europe.
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Indian Ocean.
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Mediterranean Sea.
United States. Navy--Foreign service--Pacific Area.
United States. Navy.
United States. Navy. West Gulf Squadron.
Places
Africa--Description and travel.
Asia--Description and travel.
China--Description and travel.
Egypt--Description and travel.
Fort Jackson (La.)--History.
Japan--Description and travel.
Lebanon--Description and travel.
Louisiana--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Malaya--Description and travel.
Middle East--Description and travel.
New Orleans (La.)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
New York (State)--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
Palestine--Description and travel.
Peru--Description and travel.
Singapore--Description and travel.
Syria--Description and travel.
Texas--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Blockades.
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Naval operations, American.
Occupations
Engineers.
Naval officers.
Acquisition Information
The papers of William A. H. Allen, naval officer and engineer, were given to the Library
of Congress by Louisa Maris Newkirk Steeble (Mrs. William H. Steeble) in 1952.
Processing History
The papers of William A. H. Allen were processed and prepared for microfilming by Joseph
Sullivan in 1986. The finding aid was revised in 2009. The finding aid was updated in
2023 by Maria Farmer as part of a division-wide remediation project by the Inclusive
Description Working Group.
Additional Guides
A description of the collection was published in the Library’s
Quarterly Journal of Current Acquisitions
12 no. 24 (June 25, 1953): 5-6.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of William A. H. Allen is governed
by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of William A. H. Allen are open to research. Researchers are advised to
contact the Manuscript Reading Room prior to visiting. Many collections are stored
off-site and advance notice is needed to retrieve these items for research use.
Microfilm
A microfilm edition of these papers is available on three reels. Consult reference staff
in the Manuscript Division concerning availability for purchase or interlibrary loan. To
promote preservation of the originals, researchers are required to consult the microfilm
edition.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the following information:
Container or reel number, William A. H. Allen Papers, Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress, Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
William A. H. Allen (fl. 1863-1890) was a United States naval officer and engineer who
in 1863-1864, as an assistant engineer on the Cayuga
(ship), participated in the blockading of Gulf Coast ports. He traveled to India and the
Far East between 1866 and 1869, to Peru in 1875, and made an around-the-world cruise
aboard the Lancaster (sloop-of-war) between 1881 and
1884.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of William A. H. Allen (fl. 1863-1890) span the years 1863-1884. The
collection consists of journals with photographs, sketches, and illustrations describing
Allen's activities while serving on the Cayuga (ship),
1863-1864, assigned to blockade duty on the Gulf Coast during the Civil War, and
subsequently on ships in the Mediterranean, Indian, and Pacific Oceans, and at stations
on the east and west coasts of the United States and Europe, including on an
around-the-world tour in 1881-1884 on the sloop-of-war Lancaster.
Arrangement of the Papers
This collection is arranged chronologically by journal.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm73010538]
Container List
Available on microfilm. Shelf no. 19,595
Container
Reel
Contents
1
1
Blockade, Texas, 1863, 21 Mar.-1864, 31
May
1863, 21 Mar.-1864, 31
May
2
1
Trip around the world, Boston, Mass., to Manila,
Philippines, via Ireland; Portugal; Cape Town, South Africa; Ceylon; Malaya; and
Singapore, 1866, 30 May-31 Dec.
1866, 30 May-31
Dec.
3
1
Malaya and Singapore, 1866, Nov.
1866, Nov.
4
1
China and Japan, 1868-1869
1868-1869
5
1
Various cities; San Francisco, Calif.; Chicago,
Ill.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Norfolk, Va.; Savannah, Ga.; Havana, Cuba; Key West,
Fla.; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Valparaiso, Peru, 1869, 29 Aug.-1873, 6
Dec.
1869, 29 Aug.-1873, 6
Dec.
6
2
San Francisco, Calif.; Valparaiso, Peru; Panama;
North Africa; Western Europe; Genoa, Italy; La Havre, France; and Copenhagen,
Denmark, 1874, 3 Jan.-1883, 4 Aug.
1874, 3 Jan.-1883, 4
Aug.
7
2
Aríca, Calloá, and Lima [Peru and Chile],
1875
1875
8
2
Europe; Nice, France; Villegranche, Spain; Monaco;
and Genoa, Livornó, and Naples, Italy, 1881-1884
1881-1884
9
2
Damascus, Syria, 1881-1884
1881-1884
10
2
Damascus, Syria, and Lebanon,
1881-1884
1881-1884
11
2
Beirut and Saida (Sidon), Lebanon; and Tsoor, Akka,
and Haifa, Palestine, 1881-1884
1881-1884
12
3
Holy Land, Carmel, Jaffa, Jerusalem, Dead Sea,
Jericho, Bethlehem, and Hebron, 1881-1884
1881-1884
13
3
Syria and Egypt (Cairo omitted),
1881-1884
1881-1884
14
3
Villegranche, Spain; Port Mahon, Minorca; Cadiz,
Spain; Gibraltar; Malaga and Cartagena, Spain; Algiers, Algeria; Messina, Italy;
Alexandria, Egypt; Lisbon, Portugual; and New York, 4 Sept. 1883-20 Aug.
1884
4 Sept. 1883-20 Aug.
1884