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The A. T. Byrens journal, dating from December 1844 to August 1845, regards the voyage of the US Sloop Jamestown from Norfolk, Virginia, to Africa, and its subsequent patrol of the West African coast.

The A. T. Byrens journal, dating from December 1844 to August 1845, regards the voyage of the US Sloop Jamestown from Norfolk, Virginia, to Africa and its subsequent patrol of the West African coast (under the command of Robert B. Cunningham).

The journal includes a list of the officers assigned for the voyage and the US Sloop Jamestown's dimensions. Byrens documented the daily activities of the crew, weather, visits from naval figures, and arrivals of various ships while they waited to depart Norfolk. They went to sea January 26, 1845, and Byrens commenced a sea log, recording weather, sailing details, and meteorological and navigational data. They harbored at Porto Praya, Cape Verde, on February 17 to resupply, and Commodore Matthew C. Perry (1794-1858) visited the ship before they continued on to Cape Mesurado.

On March 3, a group of Krumen served on the coast at Cape Mesurado and Commander Cunningham debarked to visit the "Governor of Monrovia," likely Joseph Jenkins Roberts (1809-1876). Stopping at Cape Palmas on March 14, Governor John Brown Russworm (1799-1851) and a "Chief of the Native Tribes on the cape" visited the Jamestown. Byrens recorded other African political figures' visits to the ship, including King Freeman when they stopped at Half Cavalley, Governor Roberts when they returned to Mesurado, and an unnamed "Governor of the Island" when they harbored at Porto Grande.

Throughout the journal, Byrens documented the places the ship harbored, including Porto Praya, Funchal, Palmas, and Porto Grande. As the Jamestown sailed along the African coast, Byrens also noted American, British, French, Danish, Spanish, and Portuguese vessels, and Africans travelling in canoes up to the ship. He made references to the punishment of crew members and the transfer of several Krumen to his ship, mentioning the later death of one of their number, "Jack Musquito." Byrens also recorded that the Jamestown fired "minuit guns as a tribute of respect to the memory of Andrew Jackson Ex President of the United States who died at his residence in Tennessee" (August 11, 1845). The journal closes with references to a court martial aboard the US Ship Yorktown at Porto Grande before Byrens, ill, was sent back to America.

The Hubert S. Smith Naval Letters and Documents collection is made up of individual manuscripts relating to naval and commercial maritime operations.

The Hubert S. Smith Naval Letters and Documents collection is made up of over 380 manuscript letters and documents relating to maritime military, commercial, financial, and legal subjects from the 15th to the 20th centuries, primarily concerning Great Britain and America. The collection includes materials relating to Continental European wars, the American Revolution, the African slave trade, the Civil War, and exploratory ventures. The collection also reflects day-to-day ship operations and naval employment, diplomacy, marine technology, the purchase and sale of ships, insurance, and publications and books relating to maritime affairs. While primarily focused on English and American navies, the contributors discuss a wide variety of places, including continental Europe, the Baltic region, Russia, Asia, Turkey, South America, and Africa.

This collection includes two journals kept by Midshipman Thomas Style while on separate patrols with the HMS Révolutionnaire, under Captain Henry Hotham.

This collection includes two journals kept by Midshipman Thomas Style while on separate patrols with the HMS Révolutionnaire, under Captain Henry Hotham (1777-1833).

The first journal (64 pages) covers tours of the HMS Révolutionnaire from April 16, 1804, through November 11, 1804. Style provided daily logs of the crew's activities and ship movements as they made multiple patrols. He recorded work performed at Portsmouth, Spithead, St. Helen's, and Cork, to maintain the ship and assemble crews for their voyage. The HMS Révolutionnaire departed on June 26, 1804, and patrolled along the Portuguese coast, returning to Spithead on August 15, 1804, carrying with them Prince Augustus Frederick, Duke of Sussex (1773-1843). Departing again on September 5, the crew continued to patrol the coast of Spain and Funchal, Madeira. They then made a transatlantic voyage, mooring at Hampton Roads, Virginia, in November 1804. Throughout the journal Style noted punishments doled out to sailors for various offences, weather, navigational and sailing details, and sightings of other British navy and mercantile ships. He logged ships they encountered and boarded and noted their ports of departure and arrival, including Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, Spain, England, the Caribbean, and the United States.

The second journal (76 pages) covers the HMS Révolutionnaire's patrols from July 1, 1805 to March 18, 1806, commencing as the ship passed near Lizard Point, England. Much like the first journal, Style recorded weather and navigational bearings, ship maintenance, discipline meted out to sailors, and ships encountered and boarded. The Révolutionnaire sailed along the French coast before returning to Plymouth on August 21. They set sail again on September 4 to patrol the French and Spanish coasts. Style mentioned privateers and the capture of prizes. He also described the Battle of Cape Ortegal between the English squadron and four French ships on November 4 and 5, 1805, with the Révolutionnaire and the Phoenix taking possession of the French ship Scipion. They took the prizes and prisoners back to Plymouth on November 10 before heading out nine days later to reconnoiter the enemy's position at Ferrol, Spain, the and patrol the coasts of France, Spain, and Portugal. They returned to Plymouth on March 9, 1806. Style disciplined several men for "concealing mutinous Practices & Designs" and two others for writing a disrespectful letter to the Commissioners of the Admiralty concerning Captain Henry Hotham.

The William Young journal reflects Young's service aboard HM Transports Zephyr, Lancaster, and Cornwall, and naval operations of the larger British convoy travelling from Great Britain to the Caribbean.

The William Young journal (51 pages) includes daily entries about sea voyages aboard HM Transports Zephyr, Lancaster, and Cornwall. The journal begins in late December, 1795, with Young aboard the Zephyr and under the command of Captain Bowen and General Whyte as they prepare ships for the transatlantic voyage from Great Britain to Barbados. He describes efforts to get various ships ready for sea travel, including the John & Sarah, the Canada, the Bellona, the George & Bridget, the Generous Planter, the Free Briton, the Lynx, and others. Young records information about the provisioning ships, wind and weather, orders, conflicts among crew members, efforts to combat illnesses as they prepared to depart, and the recurring damages incurred from squalls while waiting at the cove. His notes illustrate the complexity of preparing large-scale naval operations.

The ships departed on February 9, 1796, and Young kept a sea log with navigational details and bearings, weather, signals, illnesses, and difficulties with the crew. Young accounted for other ships encountered during the voyage.

The convoy anchored at Barbados on April 1, 1796, and Young worked to provision ships, inspect the division, shift troops, and land stores and baggage. Young transferred to the Lancaster and departed on April 19 amidst roughly 200 ships for Cape Nichola Mole, St. Domingue. Young harbored there from May 2, 1796, through the end of the journal. He worked to arrange the movement and inspection of troops and stores and recorded the movement of ships. Young transferred to the Cornwall on May 23.