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Mark F. Jenkins

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https://www.abebooks.com/servlet/SearchResults?isbn=&tn=order book commodore henry walke&n=100121503&cm_sp=mbc-_-ats-_-used

Too much for me, durnit. ($2,250.00)

Full text:

Order Book of Commodore Henry Walke USN Naval Station (Commanding officer)

Item Description: Hardcover. Book Condition: Fair. PRICE REDUCED FROM $3,000.00! Order Book of Commodore Henry Walke USN Naval Station (Commanding officer) Mound City, Illinois In February 1862 Walke commanded the ironclad warship Carondelet. He led her during the captures of Forts Henry and Donelson, which guarded the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. On July 15, Walke almost met his match when the Confederate ironclad ram CSS Arkansas made its move down the falling Yazoo River toward Vicksburg. Carondelet supported by Queen of the West and Walke's former command, Tyler, engaged the Southern ironclad. During the brisk opening exchange, Carondelet suffered heavy damage and was forced out of action in a disabled, though floating, condition. Queen of the west retreated immediately, leaving only little Tyler to face the powerful ram. The Southern warship, consequently made it safely to the stronghold at Vicksburg. On August 4, 1862, Walke was promoted captain and assumed command of the ironclad ram, Lafayette. From May 1, 1868 until April 30, 1870, he commanded the naval station at Mound City, Illinois. Mound City was a most unlikely Naval Base. Before the Civil War, Mound City, Illinois, was an unremarkable port town on the Ohio River. James Eads ushered Mound City into the spotlight when he began building new warships there in the summer of 1861. New warship contracts transformed Mound City into one of the west's most important military centers. The Marine Ways allowed steamboats to be hauled entirely out of the Ohio River so that carpenters could repair and improve them for wartime duty. In late 1861, a new military hospital was constructed. In 1862 a new foundry was built, and the town was connected to the Illinois Central Railroad. Mound City was now a center for troop transportation as soldiers disembarked by train only to re-embark on steamers headed for the Deep South. By 1863, the Navy stored all ordnance for the Mississippi Squadron in Mound City and a detachment of Marines was entrusted with its protection. Through 1864, the Navy transformed Mound City into its headquarters for all western operations, a distinction the town kept until the close of the war. From 1863-65, if a western warship needed repairing or construction, Mound City was the place to do it. Includes many significant General Orders such as General Order #4 January 14, 1863 "Declaring the Freedom of All Persons Held as Slaves in Certain States in Rebellion." • General Order #32 April 16, 1864, "Awarding Medal of Honor ." including" Robert Blake, (colored), Powder Boy." • General Order #33 May 3, 1864, The Wilkes Court Martial. • General Order #51 April 15, 1865, "Announces to the Officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps the death of ABRAHAM LINCOLN. 108 documents, General Orders, Proclamations, articles and regulations, 94 separate items printed as issued with wide margins, tipped to the blank pages, 3/4 leather volume. Printed General Orders which were issued separately, tipped into the blank pages of a bound volume. Includes many significant General Orders, such as Genera Order #4 January 14, 1863 “declaring the freedom of all persons held as slaves in certain states in rebellion.” • General Order #32 April 16, 1864 “awarding Medals of Honor” including “Robert Blake, (colored) Powder Boy.” • General Order #33 May 3, 1864 The Wilkes Court Martial. • General Order #51 April 15, 1865 “announces to the officers and men of the Navy and Marine Corps the death of ABRAHAM LINCOLN ” 3/4 black leather, spine stamped in gold, "General Orders Navy Department," front board sports a black octagonal leather label bordered in gold and stamped in gold, "General Orders Navy Department", spine split, boards reattached. Bookseller Inventory # ABE-1468943131254
 
It's not really a good price, all things considered. I have microfilm versions of some of the correspondence from Mound City, so it's not a severe loss to me, but the darn thing really should be in a government facility or at least a historical society. :frown: The seller's listing notes a lot of irrelevant detail about Mound City that doesn't pertain to the tenure of Walke's command, which was postwar.
 
It's not really a good price, all things considered. I have microfilm versions of some of the correspondence from Mound City, so it's not a severe loss to me, but the darn thing really should be in a government facility or at least a historical society. :frown: The seller's listing notes a lot of irrelevant detail about Mound City that doesn't pertain to the tenure of Walke's command, which was postwar.

Now surely you could deduct that as a business expense related to the biography of Walke you're writing!
 
:roflmao:

I'd have to have the cash first.

Really, if we were talking in the hundreds instead of the thousands, I'd be doing some serious thinking. But as it is, I have a summer vacation to England and Wales to pay for. Besides, I really don't think it's worth quite as much as they're asking for it, though my judgment may be a little suspect.
 
As another example, there's been a copy of Walke's Naval Scenes and Reminiscences up for sale on Abebooks for a number of years for $1,800. I'll agree it's probably a nice example of it-- but I already have three copies, two "regular" and one "deluxe" and I paid much less than that for all three combined.
 
Not that this is of any real help, considering the price, but sometimes if you write directly to the bookseller and offer to pay by check they might give you 15-20% off, since they have to pay commissions to ABE and credit card charges. And if you include the check with the 20% already taken off, plus a generous amount for shipping charges, they might just take the offer. The downside is that when the book arrives and you find it is not in the condition you expected or there is some other problem, then you might have difficulty resolving the issues with the dealer, since your return options are more limited.
 
It's not really a good price, all things considered. I have microfilm versions of some of the correspondence from Mound City, so it's not a severe loss to me, but the darn thing really should be in a government facility or at least a historical society. :frown: The seller's listing notes a lot of irrelevant detail about Mound City that doesn't pertain to the tenure of Walke's command, which was postwar.
Mark, you are right, that is not a realistic price. If it went at auction, my guess would be no more than 1,000.00, probably less. I collect Civil War Navy, and Navy items don't fetch the prices that the Army market does. Let me put it in perspective, I have a couple of items that belonged to Farragut himself, and they were a much better bargain than that order book. The Western Gunboat Flotilla is my favorite aspect of Naval War, and I would personally LOVE to have Walke's book, but that kind of price is beyond reason.
 
Asking as a researcher rather than a collector-- do you happen to have any Walke material of potential interest to his would-be biographer? There are definitely times of his life that are more fleshed-out than others...
 
I'm just curious, knowing not a thing about these old treasures. Is this a case of Pawn Star-it is? You see those poor guys, someone comes in with a Civil War item or something belonging to a famous person, asking around a gazillion bucks. They've been on the internet ' researching ' antiques. Goodness- there's still a post mortem photo on Ebay, been there for months and months. It's ' May Be Lincoln! ' ( doesn't look anything like him ) , reduced price, 10K.
 
:roflmao: Who knows?

Even though I don't particularly need it, I periodically go and check to see if the bookseller has sold that $1,800 copy of Naval Scenes or cut the price. So far, they've seemed okay with just leaving it "for sale." Apparently not in a hurry to move it.
 
Asking as a researcher rather than a collector-- do you happen to have any Walke material of potential interest to his would-be biographer? There are definitely times of his life that are more fleshed-out than others...
Sorry Mark, I don't - I generally do not collect paper ephemera (Walke's book would be an exception). So my research is limited to the ONR, Civil War Naval Chronology, Porter's History, the standard stuff. I would have been more than happy to share it with you if I did...:frown:
 
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