Early-dated Navy Good Conduct Medal, 1871

[JBFloyd]

An early Navy Good Conduct Medal, named "CSC/No.550/James Blake/USS Richmond/Nov 11th, 1871".

 

Blake is not on the fragmentary Navy Civil War Campaign Medal roll, so further research is necessary to fill out his history.

 

USS Richmond was launched in January 1860 and served in the Gulf Blockading Squadrons. In 1863, the ship was in action at Mobile Bay (1863). Richmond was decommissioned in 1866 and fitted with new engines. Recommissioned in 1869, she served in Mediterranean, protecting American citizens and interests during the Franco-Prussian War. In November 1871, she returned to Philadelphia and was again decommissioned.

 

The 1871 qualification date would have merited the "Nickel Cross", so it is probable that Blake asked for a Good Conduct Medal at some later date (post-1885) and the Navy gave him this one reflecting his original qualification date and ship. Clarification is perhaps in his personnel file.

[kanemono]

Jeff, that is both a beautiful and a very historic medal. Thanks for posting it for us.

Dick

[Dave]

Wow - incredible medal!!!

[67Rally]

Good grief! That is stunning and the history is fantastic!

[swabbie]

Great find, Jeff! If you do the research, please fill us in...

[BigJohn#3RD]

Jeff

I look forward to reading what you learn about the development's service.

John

[Wharfmaster]

Wonderful engraving !

 

 

Wharf

[aerialbridge]

Stellar, thanks for posting. Here's his reup record for December 1871, which nails the Richmond service and your November 11, 1871 GCM. He was born about 1839 in either Kennebec or Kennebunk, Maine, prior occupation "none", pretty tall for his day at 5' 8 1/2" and sported a tattoo of a sailor with a crucifix on his left forearm. I don't believe he's on Findagrave.

[JBFloyd]

Many thanks for that. My research skills on Navy folks are limited.

[aerialbridge]

Many thanks for that. My research skills on Navy folks are limited.

 

Jeff, you're welcome, glad to help out. Like many here, I'm a satisfied, old FJP Auction buyer, and miss those fun times. Here's the rest I could find on him. He was still in the Navy at age 60 (born in January 1840 at Kennebunk, Maine) living at 17 Province St. in Haverhill, Mass, per the 1900 Census. At that point, he had 47 years under his belt, having enlisted at about 13 in 1853 as an apprentice boy. In 1900 he was Chief Master At Arms on the USS Wabash, receiving ship at Boston. There are a few hospital records, he had chronic bronchitis. The below service number I believe is him, since the 1861 enlistment record matches for the age, height of 5' 8" 1/2, the blue eyes and brown hair, but states place of birth as Fredericton, New Brunswick, which is the capital of the Canadian Province just over the border from Maine. There are a boatload of James Blakes in the Navy, but he's definitely the one born in January 1840 and the service number is probably good. Hope you decide to get the records through a researcher. I purchased the records from Geoff at Golden Arrow for an old salt who was in from 1876 to 1907, 39 years, and the color scans were well worth it. By the way, correction on the tattoos, I misread the old Spencerian script. (Talk about a lost art). He had a crucifix on the left forearm and a sailor on the right forearm.

[aerialbridge]

...

[scottplen]

Wow thats the earliest one Ive ever seen !

[aerialbridge]

Definitely one extraordinary early GCM, the earliest planchet date that I've seen. I'm not sure if Adam has one earlier than this. It's certainly a replacement as you said, but I'd take this post-1885 version over the original nickel cross. I'd guess it dates from the late 1880's. Adam would know based on the engraver's hand. I found this on Jimbo, unfortunately it seems to cover the ships he was on from Feb. 1865 to 1868. On the 1871 reenlistment, I believe the notation "G of Top" means he was a gunner on the topmast, or if it's a "c", captain of the topmast. It would be neat if he were on the Hartford during the Civil War- Battle of Mobile Bay and 12 MOHs to the crew of Hartford. Very sad, Hartford survived 102 years until November 1956, after having been classified as a relic, but allowed to rot until she sank at her berth at the Norfolk Navy Yard.

[jguy1986]

Just to note, per his census entry, he lived on Primrose Street in Haverhill. Its just up the hill from Lafayette Square, which used to be the old French Canadian section of the city. Perhaps thats where he felt most comfortable, amongst all the people from his old neck of the woods, considering the pattern of migration of Canadians down through Maine and into Haverhill and the rest of the Merrimack Valley.

[katieony]

Absolutely beautiful engraving!

[aerialbridge]

jguy, thanks for correcting me on the street name and adding more "color" to the history. I'm really curious if Blake made 50 years of active service and what happened to him. Here's that block on Primrose St. today.

[Adam R]

Here are my earliest two USN GCMs, both with engraving identical to Jeff’s medal.  George August and Theo Gunther were both USN Civil War vets. I’d date the engraving/issue of these medals closer to the mid 1880s rather than late 80s. Unfortunately records on the service of enlisted men prior to 1882 are very fragmentary and determining the actual date of issue of these early GCMs is often difficult or impossible. The earliest date I’ve seen on a receipt for a GCM is November 1893, for a medal engraved September 1892.  

 

Certainly there was a paper trail when these early medals were originally engraved and issued, but if that documentation still exists or where it might be is anyone’s guess. Most likely it’s buried somewhere in the National Archives in DC but so far it has not been located.

 

 

[aerialbridge]

Beautiful medals, Adam.  To have one from the mid 1880s, but you have two.  And clearly it's  the same engraver's hand as Jeff's.   I just noticed the date on his planchet is Nov. 11, 1871- what would be Armistice Day more than 45 years later, and Veteran's Day after that. 

[kfields]

JBFLOYD, what a wonderful early medal! Here is an image of the USS Richmond I snatched from the book 'The Great American - Spanish War Scenes' photographs by USN Naval photographer E.H. Hart.

[JMcCulloch]

Interesting. One doc. says Kennebec ( a county),  the other- Kennebunk. I will check the 1840 Kennebunk town birth roster tomorrow and see. 

[aerialbridge]

Look forward to seeing if you uncover anything.   My dear friends live in Kennebunk, beautiful place.