Scope and Content Note
The papers of Silas Casey (1841-1913) span the years 1771-1941, with the bulk of the material falling between the years 1860-1903. The papers include official and general correspondence, a few pieces of personal correspondence, dispatches, orders, a complete set of commissions for each of the ranks attained by Casey, typescript articles, departmental and legislative reports, printed matter, a holograph journal relating to events in which Casey played a role, a Revolutionary War account book, and other material.
Subjects in the collection include Casey's service during the cruise of the Niagara (frigate) to Tokyo, Japan, in 1860-1861, with the Japanese ambassador and his staff; naval actions and blockades in the Civil War; and the punitive expedition to Korea aboard the Colorado (frigate) in 1871. The papers also document Casey's service as commander of the Portsmouth (sloop of war) operating as a naval school and of the Wisconsin (Battleship : BB-9) during negotiations with Panama, 1901-1902. Other subjects relate to suspected sabotage of navy yards and arsenals during the Spanish-American War and naval customs of the nineteenth century. Included also are photographs and printed matter pertaining to the capture of Fort McKee on Kanghoa Island (Kanghwa-gun), Korea, in 1871. Material regarding the role of Casey's ancestors in the American Revolution includes Joseph Coggershall's account book of the Greenwich (privateer), Marlborough (privateer), and Providence (privateer). Other ships represented include the Quinnebaug (corvette) and the Wyoming (sloop of war).