Ezra T. Doughty journal, 1832-1833, 1859
1 volume
Ezra T. Doughty's diary entries (63 pages) pertain to his experiences onboard the USS St. Louis and USS Grampus during the ships' voyages in the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in 1832 and 1833. Doughty, a midshipman who became sailing master of the Grampus in December 1832, recorded detailed descriptions of Haiti; Veracruz, Mexico; and Havana, Cuba. The first page of the volume contains an incomplete description of the Grampus, including measurements of the schooner's masts, decks, hold, and ballast.
Doughty began his diary on October 9, 1832, while in port at New York onboard the St. Louis. He anticipated the ship's upcoming journey to the West Indies and complained that the ship would be carrying a significant number of officers bound for other vessels. He wrote semi-regular entries about his experiences on the St. Louis until December 3, 1832, in which he commented on party politics and the Andrew Jackson administration, scenery and nautical animals, his personal history, women, Commodore John D. Henley, and a theological discussion with a shipmate. On October 11, 1832, he quoted lines from a poem by Thomas Moore, "As Slow Our Ship." Two entries have descriptions of deaths at sea: a sea burial (October 13, 1832) and a failed attempt to rescue a crewman who had fallen overboard (November 13, 1832). In these entries, Doughty also reflected upon death in general and upon his feelings after watching a man drown. While traveling off the coast of Hispaniola, he composed an extensive description of Haiti, including notes on its history, governance, people (particularly with regard to slavery and race), customs, and coastline (November 13, 1832; November 23, 1832). Along the southern coast of Cuba, Doughty noticed the contrast between Spanish planters' villas and their slaves' huts (December 1, 1832).
The St. Louis arrived at Pensacola in early December 1832, and Doughty accompanied a fowl-hunting party on at least one occasion while in port. On December 11, 1832, he accepted a transfer to the schooner Grampus, on which he served as sailing master. Doughty also noted recent animosity between the United States Navy and the Mexican government, prompted by the ship's previous capture of suspected pirates sailing under the Mexican flag (December 11, 1832). On one occasion, Doughty was a member of a party that unsuccessfully attempted to recover a man who had gone overboard (December 24, 1832). He composed lengthy descriptions of Veracruz, Mexico (December 27, 1832, and January 1, 1833), and Havana, Cuba (January 11, 1833, and January 20, 1833). In Mexico, he recorded the effects of recent military operations, his opinions about Mexicans, and the history of Spanish rule. In Havana, he mentioned the local inhabitants and markets, and the United States's possible interest in owning Cuba, Havana Harbor, and Morro Castle. Later, he commented on workers on "Thompson's Island" (now Key West, Florida), the efforts of "wreckers" to assist ships stranded on nearby reefs, and the work of naturalist John James Audubon (January 20, 1833). By January 14, the Grampus had embarked for Norfolk, Virginia, and Doughty's entries of mid- to late February 1833 and March 1833 pertain to his social activities in Norfolk and his thoughts on nautical careers. His final entry is dated March 14, 1833.
An unattributed journal entry (3 pages) is dated December 20, 1859, with an additional heading made for the following day. The entry pertains to the first day of a transatlantic voyage on the Fortunata, commenting on encounters with fellow passengers (often British) and expressing anticipation for exploring tombs in "Nubia." A piece of heavy linen is tied over the book's covers, and the front cover bears the ink title "Amphibiology."