U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Training photograph collection, 1896

Overview of the Collection

Title
U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet Training photograph collection
Dates
1896 (inclusive)
Quantity
28 photographs (1 folder) ; sizes vary
Collection Number
PH1431
Summary
Photographs of the first modern naval maneuvers conducted by the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron in 1896 at Port Angeles, WA.
Repository
University of Washington Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections
University of Washington Libraries
Box 352900
Seattle, WA
98195-2900
Telephone: 2065431929
Fax: 2065431931
speccoll@uw.edu
Access Restrictions

Entire collection can be viewed on the Libraries’ Digital Collections website. Permission of Visual Materials Curator required to view originals. Contact Special Collections for more information.

Request at UW

Languages
English

Historical BackgroundReturn to Top

On October 2, 1895, the United States Navy Pacific Squadron, commanded by Rear Admiral Lester A. Beardslee, dropped anchor in the harbor at Port Angeles on the Olympic Peninsula. In addition to Beardslee's flagship Philadelphia , six Navy warships—the double turreted monitor Monadnock , the coast defense armored vessel Monterey , the corvette Alert and the gunboat cruiser Bennington —marked their entrance into the harbor with cannon shots and band music. The Pacific Squadron had been invited to Port Angeles as part of a major countywide celebration that later evolved into the Clallam County Fair. Beardslee surprised the city by accepting the invitation. In the days following their arrival, the crews of the warships stayed in tents erected around the city, gave drill exhibitions during the day and band concerts at night.

Captain Charles Stanhope Cotton served as Beardslee’s Chief of Staff and commanded the cruiser Philadelphia . Captain George W. Sumner was at the helm of Monadnock , Captain Nicoll Ludlow of Monterey , Commander Franklin Hanford of Alert , and Commander George W. Pigman of Bennington . Port Angeles was chosen for having a splendid harbor, good anchorage for maneuver work, and a gun range of twenty miles. Townspeople would lower their windows so they did not shatter during target practice. Also on schedule for the Pacific Squadron were small boat operations, torpedo service, determining the tactical diameter of the ships, and landing naval brigades. Plans were made to land 1,300 “bluejacket” sailors ashore for a camp of instruction and to practice throwing up and manning entrenchments. The use of Navy sailors as infantry (and artillerymen ashore) was common during the 19th century. Training ashore was practiced at a level comparable to fleet exercises. During the naval reform debates in the late 19th century, use of the Navy as infantry was unanimously viewed as required. Arguments centered instead on how to use them most efficiently. While ashore, sailors trained in traditional Army roles and were often joined in drills by Army infantrymen and/or Marines.

Navy Fleet visits to Port Angeles continued under Beardslee and his successors until the 1930s.

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

Photographs of the first modern naval maneuvers conducted by the U.S. Navy's Pacific Squadron in 1896 at Port Angeles, WA. It also includes some photographs of the land-based training which was part of the exercises.

Other Descriptive InformationReturn to Top

Some photographs in the collection are indentified as being by Thomas, a photographer from Port Angeles. It is likely that most of the photographs are by him. Several photographs of the Monadnock are located in the Early Photographers Photograph Collection PH334 under "Thomas."

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Alternative Forms Available

View the digital version of the collection

Restrictions on Use

Status of creator's copyrights is unknown; restrictions may exist on copying, quotation, or publication. Users are responsible for researching copyright status before use.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Acquisition Information

Source: Fairlook Antiques, October 10, 2016.

Processing Note

Processed by Molly Bishop, 2017.

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

 

Pacific Squadron on LandReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Folder item
1 13 1896
1 14 1896
1 15 1896
1 16 1896
1 17 1896
1 18 1896
1 19 1896
1 20 1896
1 21 1896
1 22 1896
1 23 1896
1 24 1896
1 25 1896
1 26
Group of officers with sabers, Port Angeles, WA
Thomas, Port Angeles, WA (photographer)
1896
1 27-28
Group of officers with their families, Port Angeles, WA
Thomas, Port Angeles, WA (photographer)
1896

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Visual Materials Collections (University of Washington)

Corporate Names

  • Monadnock (Iron-hulled monitor)--Photographs
  • United States. Navy. Pacific Fleet--Photographs

Other Creators

  • Personal Names
    • Thomas, J. E. (Jesse Edward) (photographer)