Dee Burris Blakley (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
dee_burris) wrote2012-06-21 06:35 pm
dee_burris) wrote2012-06-21 06:35 pm
Entry tags:
Geneabloggers with USN research experience...HELP please
One of my cousins contacted me yesterday, looking for some help in finding out about the Navy career of Albert E Smith.
He wrote:
I bought an antique naval officer's sword recently and am trying to research the original owner. I bought the sword in Columbia, PA, and it is a fancy presentation sword made by Shannon, Miller & Crane of NY, which is a known 19th cen. sword maker. The blade is etched with USN on one side and Albert E. Smith "80" on the other. I believe as did the dealer that this sword was presented to Smith when he graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1880. I presume that he would have been about 20 in 1880 and if he followed a career in the Navy would have served in the Spanish American War and WWI. I tried to do some Internet research myself but the only possible references I found was one in the NY Times , Sept. 2, 1880, stating that "Cadet Engineer Albert E. Smith has been detached from the Despatch and placed on waiting orders."
My cousin went on to say that he found a second NY Times article dated March 1, 1911, after talking about how Albert E. Smith was in a sailing regatta in New York. The article stated that, "Mr. Smith has been an enthusiastic yachtsman for a number of years."
The dealer who sold the sword to my cousin said the sword was bought from an estate sale in New York.
Photos below, including a close-up of the inscription.
Sword and scabbard
Engraving on sword
Internet searches we have conducted are inconclusive.
I haven't found any Ancestry family trees that mention an Albert E Smith having a career in the Navy, or graduating from the naval academy in 1880.
The VA's Nationwide Gravesite Locator does not list an Albert E Smith who was in the Navy, or who lived and died during the appropriate time.
I can't find him in Find a Grave. Military records at Ancestry are not helpful.
Any ideas?
He wrote:
I bought an antique naval officer's sword recently and am trying to research the original owner. I bought the sword in Columbia, PA, and it is a fancy presentation sword made by Shannon, Miller & Crane of NY, which is a known 19th cen. sword maker. The blade is etched with USN on one side and Albert E. Smith "80" on the other. I believe as did the dealer that this sword was presented to Smith when he graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1880. I presume that he would have been about 20 in 1880 and if he followed a career in the Navy would have served in the Spanish American War and WWI. I tried to do some Internet research myself but the only possible references I found was one in the NY Times , Sept. 2, 1880, stating that "Cadet Engineer Albert E. Smith has been detached from the Despatch and placed on waiting orders."
My cousin went on to say that he found a second NY Times article dated March 1, 1911, after talking about how Albert E. Smith was in a sailing regatta in New York. The article stated that, "Mr. Smith has been an enthusiastic yachtsman for a number of years."
The dealer who sold the sword to my cousin said the sword was bought from an estate sale in New York.
Photos below, including a close-up of the inscription.
Sword and scabbard
Engraving on sword
Internet searches we have conducted are inconclusive.
I haven't found any Ancestry family trees that mention an Albert E Smith having a career in the Navy, or graduating from the naval academy in 1880.
The VA's Nationwide Gravesite Locator does not list an Albert E Smith who was in the Navy, or who lived and died during the appropriate time.
I can't find him in Find a Grave. Military records at Ancestry are not helpful.
Any ideas?
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Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900 about Albert Edward Smith
Name: Albert Edward Smith
Rank Information: Cadet Engineer Naval Academy, Graduated, Assistant Engineer, Resigned
Service Dates: 14 Sep 1876, 10 Jun 1880, 10 Jun 1882
Military Branch: US Navy Officers (1798-1900)
(from ancestry here (hoping that massive link works!)
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eta: and there's an albert e smith here who's from lynn, mass, and serving at marblehead in 1920. he's a marine, though.
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I've never used this list, but I had some good luck with the WWI Rootsweb mailing list. You/your cousin might want to ask about this here:
http://lists.rootsweb.ancestry.com/index/other/Military:_Naval/USNAVY.html
(You would think there are some sort of historical Naval Academy records, somewhere, especially ones 100+ years old.)
I took a gander @ Fold3, and while there are some Naval records there, it's sort of a mish-mash. There's some stuff @ Familysearch (I don't know if it's any different than what's @ Fold3 & Ancestry, tho), but Albert Smith was not an uncommon name.
Poo, DW is not letting me post this as OpenID again
(Anonymous) 2012-06-22 07:50 am (UTC)(link)------------------------------
There's also this, if someone is near a NARA location (I'm not sure if this is all in MD or not):
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/024.html#24.6.5
24.6.5 Records of the Naval Academy Division
History: Bureau of Navigation, upon its establishment in 1862, assumed supervision of the U.S. Naval Academy from the Bureau of Ordnance and Hydrography. Responsibility delegated to Naval Academy Division, or Naval Academy Section, at an undetermined date.
Textual Records: General correspondence of the Academy Superintendent, 1851-58. Appointment letters, 1894-1940. Personnel files (jackets) of naval cadets, principally those who failed to graduate, 1862-1910. Registers of midshipmen, 1869-96.
Related Records: Records of the U.S. Naval Academy, RG 405.
(http://arcweb.archives.gov/arc/action/ExternalIdSearch?id=701
AND
http://www.archives.gov/research/guide-fed-records/groups/405.html)
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And I hadn't looked at FamilySearch yet...
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http://www.history.navy.mil/books/callahan/reg-usn-s.htm
"Smith, Albert Edward.
Cadet Engineer, Naval Academy, 14 September, 1876. Graduated 10 June, 1880. Assistant Engineer, 10 June, 1882. Resigned 7 December, 1886."
found a couple other mentions of him, including here, where he's listed as being from wisconsin -- and gives his date of admission and AGE at admission! admitted sept 14 1876 age 17 years 8 months, which puts him born dec 1858 or jan 1859.
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http://books.google.com/books?id=0JgaAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA453&lpg=PA453&dq=navy+%22smith,+albert+edward%22+new+york&source=bl&ots=7UICUf87IR&sig=z4Rohh_k1XKgb2U3d1OUtRsJPqc&hl=en&sa=X&ei=_wXlT6XkJMnc0QG-pfSACg&ved=0CE0Q6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=navy%20%22smith%2C%20albert%20edward%22%20new%20york&f=false
(The United States naval academy: being the yarn of the American midshipman ...
By Park Benjamin)
Wow!
Re: Wow!
"Albert E. Smith, second son of John Smith and Elizabeth Leigh. He graduated from Annapolis and served about 10 years in the U.S. Navy. Later became past-assistant examiner in U.S. Patent office."
Re: Wow!
Re: Wow!
Steven is going to be in high cotton (as we say here in the south).
Thank you so much.
Re: Wow!
Steven's reply...
I just wanted to thank you so much for ferreting out the information on Albert Smith. I really appreciate the time and effort you took to check this out for me. This is the kind of research I'm not adept at, so I very much appreciate your expertise. Thanks again for your act of kindness!!!!!! This adds to the meaningfulness of the sword I bought of this Naval officer from long ago.
Yours,
Steven Shephard
Smithfield, Virginia
Re: Steven's reply...
you're quite welcome! all the best to you,
carys