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Journal kept by William W. Dwier, acting carpenter, aboard the Steam Sloop Wyoming during the United States Civil War. The ship was sent to the Pacific to search for the CSS Alabama. Dwier describes day-to-day life on board the ship in the Pacific, maintenance, and repairs required after hitting rocks or coral reefs. The ship traveled through the Straits of Bernadino to the Phillippines, to China, and to Japan. In China, the ship made port in Macao, Shanghai, Ningpo (where the ship was sent to protect American inhabitants in case of battle), Amoy. A description of the Wyoming’s participation in the battle of Shimonoseki with the Japanese on July 16, 1863. In the journal, Dwier frequently mentions ships that they pass, the scenery, the weather, illness (particularly cholera), supplies brought on board (especially coal), and purchases he made in ports. He only occasionally mentions military events taking place in the North and South of the United States of America.(Note: Beginning at page 164 of the page turner, the pages are inverted. Researchers may want to download the entire manuscript and rotate the affected pages for easier viewing.)
Continue reading Independence Seaport Museum: Steam Sloop Wyoming logbook and journal (1)
