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U.S. Navy Civil War Campaign Medal #1012 Edward P. Law (rim engraved)


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I am proud to be the caretaker of Law's Civil War Campaign Medal.

 

Officer Steward Edward P. Law

 

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Edward P. Law was born in Orange, Connecticut, in 1836. He enlisted with the United States Navy for one years' service as a Landsman, on August 12, 1862 in New London, Connecticut, at the age of 26, stating his occupation as that of Farmer. Landsman Law began serving aboard the training vessel, USS Sabine, a sailing frigate built by the United States Navy in 1855. The ship was among the first ships to see action in the American Civil War. USS Sabine was actively employed along the east coast searching for Confederate raiders. She participated in the relief and reinforcement of Fort Pickens, Florida, in April 1861, under command of Capt. Adams, the rescue of 500 marines and the crew of chartered troop transport Governor during a violent storm off South Carolina on November 2nd and 3rd, 1861, the search for Vermont in March 1862, after the ship-of-the-line had been badly damaged by a storm while sailing to Port Royal, South Carolina, and the hunt for CSS Alabama in October 1862 and CSS Tacony in June 1863, before returning to New York, where she assumed the role of training vessel.

A little over six months later, on February 28th, Law was transferred to a receiving ship, the USS North Carolina, a 74-gun ship of the line in the United States Navy, that had been laid down in 1818. After twenty-one years' service, USS North Carolina returned to the New York Navy Yard in June 1839, where she served as a receiving ship, a role she would assume until 1866.

​ Three and a half months later, on June 12th, Landsman Law was posted to the newly commissioned USS Virginia, a heavy 581-ton blockade-running steamer that had been captured by the United States Navy and put to use by the Union during the American Civil War, with Law assuming the position of Officer's Steward two days later, on June 14th. USS Virginia was attached to Rear Admiral David G. Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron. After a major refit in New Orleans, Louisiana, she was deployed to the Texas coast, conducting patrol and reconnaissance missions, many of which took her up the rivers which empty into the gulf. She compiled an impressive number of captures and supported General Nathaniel Banks' successful landing at Brazos Santiago, Texas, near the mouth of the Rio Grande. Banks forced southern troops out of Brownsville, giving the Union a strong presence on the Mexican border. USS Virginia then returned to blockade duty in the San Luis Pass area and captured a number of runners, including the Mary Douglas, the Henry Cothwist, the Camilla, the Cassie Holt, the Sulphifer, the Juanita and the Experiment. Officer's Steward Edward P. Law served with USS Virginia for three months, until he was discharged from service on September 19, 1863.

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U.S.S. Sabine

 

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The first USS Sabine was a sailing frigate built by the United States Navy in 1855. The ship was among the first ships to see action in the American Civil War. In 1862, a large portion of the USS Monitor crew were volunteers from the Sabine.

She was built at the New York Navy Yard. Her keel was laid in 1822, but she was not launched until 3 February 1855. During this period, she underwent various alterations, the most extensive being a lengthening of her hull by twenty feet. Built essentially from Brandywine plans, she was commissioned on 23 August 1858, Capt. Henry A. Adams in command.

Civil War, 18611865

 

Through July and August, she was out of commission at Portsmouth Navy Yard. Recommissioning on 30 August, she was ordered to join the Atlantic Blockading Squadron on 9 September.

During the Civil War, Sabine was actively employed along the east coast searching for Confederate raiders. She participated in the relief and reinforcement of Fort Pickens, Florida, in April 1861, under command of Capt. Adams; the rescue of 500 marines and the crew of chartered troop transport Governor during a violent storm off South Carolina on 2 and 3 November 1861; the search for Vermont in March 1862, after the ship-of-the-line had been badly damaged by a storm while sailing to Port Royal, South Carolina; and the hunt for CSS Alabama in October 1862 and CSS Tacony in June 1863.

Sabine returned to New York for blockade duty with the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron until ordered in August 1864 to Norfolk, Virginia as a training ship for Navy apprentices and landsmen.

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USS North Carolina

 

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USS North Carolina was a 74-gun ship of the line in the United States Navy. One of the "nine ships to rate not less than 74 guns each" authorized by Congress on 29 April 1816, she was laid down in 1818 by the Philadelphia Navy Yard, launched on 7 September 1820, and fitted out in the Norfolk Navy Yard. Master Commandant Charles W. Morgan was assigned to North Carolina as her first commanding officer on 24 June 1824.

While nominally a 74-gun ship, a popular size at the time, North Carolina was actually pierced (had gunports) for 102 guns, and probably originally mounted ninety-four 42-pounder (19 kg) and 32-pounder (15 kg) cannons. In 1845, she had fifty-six 42-pounders (19 kg), twenty-six 32-pounders (15 kg), and eight 8 in (200 mm) cannons, for a total of 90.

Considered by many the most powerful naval vessel then afloat, North Carolina served in the Mediterranean as flagship for Commodore John Rodgers from 29 April 1825 18 May 1827. In the early days of the Republic, as today, a display of naval might brought a nation prestige and enhanced her commerce. Such was the case as Rodgers' squadron which laid the groundwork for the 1830 commercial treaty with Turkey opening ports of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea to American traders.

After a period in ordinary at Norfolk, North Carolina decommissioned on 30 October 1836 to fit out for the Pacific Squadron, the one other area where ships of her vast size could be employed. Only the Mediterranean and the western coast of South America at that time offered ports which could accommodate ships of great draft. Again flagship of her station, flying the pennant of Commodore Henry E. Ballard, North Carolina reached Callao, Peru on 26 May 1837. With the War of the Confederation raging between Chile and Peru, and relations between the United States and Mexico strained, North Carolina protected the important American commerce of the eastern Pacific until March 1839. Since her great size made her less flexible than smaller ships, she returned to the New York Navy Yard in June, and served as a receiving ship until placed in ordinary in 1866. She was sold at New York on 1 October 1867.

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Congratulations! As a Texas transplant for 21 years. That has some very cool history. Thanks for sharing this well put together documentry of its owners history. Amazing story. I like it. Great medal!

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  • 4 weeks later...

Fantastic medal and documents, congrats! I would be going nuts trying to find a photo of him to display with it.

 

What would be the best way to start trying to locate a photo of him?

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I always start a tree on Ancestry for anyone I am researching. Then I research, in this case, the ships he was on and crew. In some cases the education of the person can lead to a yearbook type find, don't think that helps in this case. Then newspaper articles can occasionally provide something.

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