Collection Summary
Ninian Pinkney Papers
1822-1913
(bulk 1840-1870)
1822-1913
(bulk 1840-1870)
MSS50062
Pinkney, Ninian,
1811-1877
900 items
3 containers
1.2 linear feet
English
Collection material in
English
Manuscript Division, Library of
Congress
Washington, D.C.
Naval surgeon.
Correspondence, speeches, articles, and notes relating mainly to Pinkney's
surgical cases in Peru, his observations on the Mexican War and Civil War, his
plan to reorganize the Army Medical Corps, and his interest in politics.
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
Bancroft, George, 1800-1891--Correspondence.
Clay, Henry, 1777-1852--Correspondence.
Hambleton, Samuel, 1812-1886--Correspondence.
Perry, Matthew Calbraith, 1794-1858--Correspondence.
Pinkney, Mary H. (Mary Hambleton),1816-1896--Correspondence.
Pinkney, Ninian, 1811-1877.
Welles, Gideon, 1802-1878--Correspondence.
Organizations
United States. Army. Medical Corps.
United States. Navy.
Subjects
Medicine--Practice--Peru.
Mexican War, 1846-1848.
Places
United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865.
United States--Politics and government--19th century.
Occupations
Surgeons.
Provenance
The papers of Ninian Pinkney, naval surgeon, were deposited in the
Library of Congress by the Naval Historical Foundation in 1949. Additional
material was deposited by the foundation in 1957 and the collection was
converted to a gift in 1998.
Processing History
The Ninian Pinkney Papers were processed in 1969 and revised and
expanded in 1984. The finding aid was revised in 2011.
Copyright Status
The status of copyright in the unpublished writings of Ninian Pinkney
is governed by the Copyright Law of the United States (Title 17, U.S.C.).
Access and Restrictions
The papers of Ninian Pinkney 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.
Preferred Citation
Researchers wishing to cite this collection should include the
following information: Container number, Ninian Pinkney Papers, Naval
Historical Foundation Collection, Manuscript Division, Library of Congress,
Washington, D.C.
Biographical Note
Date
Event
1811, June 7
Born, Annapolis, Md.
1830
Graduated, St. John's College, Annapolis, Md.
1833
Graduated, Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia,
Pa.
1834
Appointed assistant surgeon
Duty in USS Erie (flagship),
Brazil Squadron
1838
Married Mary S. Hambleton (died 1896)
Duty at the United States Naval Hospital, Philadelphia,
Pa.
1839
Duty in USS Brandywine (frigate),
Mediterranean Sqauadron
1840
1844
Duty in USS Relief (supply ship)
and USS Shark (schooner), Pacific Squadron
1841
Commissioned surgeon
Duty at Callao, Peru
1844
Duty at the Baltimore, Md., Naval Rendezvous
1846
Duty in USS Albany (sloop of
war), Home Squadron, Mexican War
1848
Duty in USS Germantown (sloop of
war), Home Squadron
1850
Duty in USS Saranac (sloop of
war), Home Squadron
1852
Duty at the United States Naval Academy, Annapolis,
Md.
1856
Duty in USS Susquehanna
(side-wheel steamer), Mediterranean Squadron
1858
Duty at the U. S. Naval Hospital, Norfolk, Va.
1859
Duty in USS San Jacinto (screw
warship), African Squadron
1861
Duty at the United States Naval Hospital, Washington,
D.C.
1862
Fleet surgeon, Mississippi Squadron
1870
Duty at the Washington, D.C., Navy Yard
1871
Appointed medical director, United States Navy
1873
Retired
1876
Elected vice president, American Medical Association
1877, Dec. 15
Died, Easton, Md.
Scope and Content Note
The papers of Ninian Pinkney (1811-1877) span the years 1822 to 1913,
with the bulk of the material concentrated in the period 1840-1870. The papers
consist of a letterbook, correspondence, speeches and articles, medical papers,
clippings, and miscellany.
Subjects in the collection include Pinkney's tours of naval duty, his
surgical cases in Peru, his observations on the Mexican War and Civil War,
efforts to obtain seniority status in the navy, plan to reorganize the United
States Navy Medical Corps, and his interest in politics. Correspondents include
his wife, Mary H. Pinkney, and George Bancroft, Henry Clay, Samuel Hambleton,
Matthew Calbraith Perry, and Gideon Welles.
Arrangement of the Papers
The collection is arranged by type of material.
Catalog Record: [https://lccn.loc.gov/mm70050062]
Container List
Container
Contents
1
Letterbook, USS
Relief (supply ship),
1841
1841
1
Correspondence
1
Official,
1836-1850
1836-1850
(3
folders)
1
General,
1838-1878
1838-1878
(8
folders)
2
Speeches, articles, and related
material
2
On collection of prescriptions,
1833
1833
2
On surgical cases in Peru,
1843-1873
1843-1873
2
"Report on Cases and Operations
during Cruise in Pacific, 1846," holograph with typescript copy
2
Address before medical congress,
Florence, Italy,
1859
1859
2
On the impeachment of Andrew
Johnson,
1868
1868
2
On legal efforts to obtain
seniority in the navy,
1871-1913
1871-1913
2
Address to students at St. John's
College, Annapolis, Md.,
circa 1873
circa 1873
2
On politics,
1875
1875
2
On reorganization of the United
States Navy Medical Corps,
undated
undated
3
Miscellany
3
Biographical file
3
Commendations and tributes,
1840-1850
1840-1850
3
Commissions and American Medical
Association papers,
1830-1871
1830-1871
3
Eulogy of Pinkney by William
Pinkney,
1877
1877
3
Newspaper clippings,
1868-1877
1868-1877
3
Photographs and prints
(2
folders)
3
Miscellaneous notes and other
material,
1822-1876, undated
1822-1876, undated
(3
folders)