Douglas French Forrest, Odyssey in Gray; Civil War; Confederate States Navy

Description: Born in Baltimore, MD, Douglas French Forrest (1838-1902) was the son of American naval officer French Forrest (1796-1866). Following in his father's footsteps, he enrolled at the US Naval Academy in 1811. He participated in the War of 1812 and was promoted to Lieutenant in the US Navy in March 1817. Twenty years later, in February 1837, Forrest was promoted commander and in March 1844 was made Captain. During the Mexican-American War he commanded the American naval forces in the landing at Vera Cruz. With the outbreak of the Civil War and the secession of Virginia, Forrest became the first and only flag officer in the Virginia Navy and assumed command of the Norfolk Ship Yard. Subsequently he served in the Confederate Navy, rising to Commander. He was directed by Steven R. Mallory, Secretary of the Confederate States Navy, to oversee the salvage and reconstruction of the U. S. S. Merrimack into a new ironclad design (what would become the C. S. S. Rappahannock. Forrest concluded his Civil War with a two-year stint in Europe as Assistant Paymaster of the C. S. S. Rappahannock. These years are recorded in his Odyssey in Gray; A Diary of Confederate Service, 1863-1865 (Richmond: Virginia State Library, 1979). From the internet: "Although hundreds of soldiers kept diaries, Douglas French Forrest's diary, published in 1979, is unusual for it is a chronicle of naval service in Europe. A literate and perceptive observer, Forrest filled his diary with descriptions of people scenes, and events discovered in a two-year odyssey from Charleston to Europe by way of the Caribbean, throughout England, Scotland and the Continent and home to Virginia via Cuba and Texas in 1865." Hardcover with mylar protected dust jacket, 1st ed, 352 pp., signed, 7.5" x 9.5". frontispiece and b/w ills. Minor age related wear to cover, mainly edge wear; gift inscription in ink and former owner's signature on fep; very good copy. NOTE: Photo discoloration is owing to camera light.d

Price: 49.95 USD

Location: Charleston, South Carolina

End Time: 2024-11-22T01:29:06.000Z

Shipping Cost: 4.95 USD