Isaac D. Seyburn
Encyclopedia
Isaac D. Seyburn was a Welsh-American merchant captain
who served as an officer in the United States Navy
during the Civil War
, with the rank of Acting Master. He was wounded in action during the 1861 Battle of Port Royal
. During 1863 he commanded the schooner USS Kittatinny as part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral David Farragut
. Seyburn resigned his commission in 1864 due to war injuries and initially settled in Maine. He later moved to Louisiana, where he operated a sugar plantation.
."
On March 15, 1848, he was married in Pittston, Maine
, to Mary Ann Rogers who was born in New York City
on November 20, 1828. She was a daughter of John Rogers (1800–1863) and Elizabeth Carroll Reynolds (1806–1871). Elizabeth C. Reynolds’ family is descended from Christopher Reynolds who settled in what is now Isle of Wight County, Virginia
(on the south shore of the James River
about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Newport News), before 1630 and received a land grant of 450 acres (1.8 km²) in 1636. Her grandfather, Bernard Reynolds (1763–1833), served in the Continental Army
during the American Revolutionary War
.
Isaac and Mary Ann Seyburn had five children, Emily Williamson Seyburn (1853–1934), Mary Catharine Seyburn (1854–1893), Stephen Young Seyburn (1856–1923), Edward Isaac Seyburn (1860–1931) and John Rogers Seyburn (1867–1905) who were all born in Maine
.
, a two-masted, square-rigged merchant ship of about 116 feet (35.4 m) that he named the Emily W. Seyburn after his first child who had been born the year before. The brig was registered in Pittston, Maine. There are records of its periodic arrival in New York between 1854 and 1860 carrying cargo under charter, e.g., coal from Newcastle upon Tyne
in England
, flour from New Orleans, nickel and hides from Montevideo
in Uruguay
. By 1857, the brig was either sold or another Master was hired to sail her because records indicate that Seyburn thereafter was Master of the ship Stephen J. Young (1856–1857), and Master of the ship Lew Chew (1857–1861). Stephen J. Young was the son of Stephen Young, the ship's owner; he was also the owner of the Lew Chew; Seyburn's eldest son was named after him.
and was awarded a temporary commission as an Acting Master
, a volunteer officer whose term of service was until the end of the Civil War
. The naval rank of "Master" was later replaced by that of "Lieutenant (Junior Grade)
." He reported for service in New York on September 10, 1861.
Acting Master Seyburn was seriously wounded in action aboard the steam sloop of war USS Mohican
during the Battle of Port Royal
on November 7, 1861. The battle was a major Union victory and up until then the largest naval and amphibious force ever assembled by the United States
. Seyburn was wounded when a 32-pound solid minie ball
from defending shore batteries shattered the bones of his lower left leg just above the ankle. Seyburn was treated at the Naval Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, between November 14, 1861 and March 1, 1862. He never regained use of the leg, but was confined to crutches and endured pain for the rest of his life.
Despite his injuries, Acting Master Seyburn continued with his naval service. During his convalescence, Acting Master Seyburn was assigned to the Monitor Board in New York and was a member of the team supervising the construction of the Passaic-class monitor
USS Weehawken
in Jersey City, New Jersey. At about the time the Weehawken was launched on November 5, 1862, Acting Master Seyburn was ordered to the ironclad steamer USS Galena
where he served until the end of her deployment on May 21, 1863 when the ship arrived in Philadelphia for repairs. Galena, commissioned on April 21, 1862, was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the US Navy during the Civil War; it was also the second, after the USS Monitor
, to be put under fire.
On June 10, 1863, Acting Master Seyburn was given command of the USS Kittatinny, a three-masted fore-and-aft schooner
. While under his command, the Kittatinny was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under the overall command of Rear-Admiral David Farragut
. The ship is credited with having chased an unidentified schooner ashore on September 22, 1863 where that vessel was burned by her crew, and with having captured the three-masted schooner, Reserve, on October 25, 1863 off Pass Cavallo
, Texas
.
On December 23, 1863, while on deployment off the coast of Texas, Acting Master Seyburn was ordered to proceed with the USS Kittatinny to New Orleans. Shortly after his arrival, Seyburn submitted his resignation. In his letter, dated February 18, 1864, from the station ship USS Portsmouth, Seyburn indicated that he wanted to resign because he had been crippled by his wound and because "the high handed injustice practiced on me by the Commanding officers of the first division of this Squadron is to me insufferable." His resignation was accepted and Acting Master Seyburn was honorably discharged on March 24, 1864 in Gardiner, ME.
, principally due to the warmer climate, where he had acquired the Idlewild Plantation in Patterson
, St. Mary Parish
(some 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of New Orleans). Idlewild was a sugar cane plantation and Isaac D. Seyburn earned his livelihood as a planter. His wife, Mary Ann, died on March 19, 1880 and Isaac D. Seyburn died on March 6, 1895.
, where it remains today.
Idlewild Plantation remained in the family at least until Edward Isaac Seyburn’s son, Edward Reynolds Seyburn, sold it in 1977.It was purchased by Dr. walter H. Daniels.He and his wife Pam still reside in Idlewild.Dr.Daniels efforts got Idlewild Plantation listed on the National Register of Historic Places
(Designation No. 82000459 of November 2, 1982).
One of the eight Flying Junior
dinghies in the Vanderbilt Sailing Club
fleet was named for Isaac D. Seyburn, who was the great great great grandfather of a former Commodore of the Club; another was named Lew Chew.
(http://www.rootsweb.com/~lastmary/sully/stmaryhistory.htm)
Master mariner
A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel. In England, the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms,...
who served as an officer in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, with the rank of Acting Master. He was wounded in action during the 1861 Battle of Port Royal
Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861...
. During 1863 he commanded the schooner USS Kittatinny as part of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under Rear Admiral David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
. Seyburn resigned his commission in 1864 due to war injuries and initially settled in Maine. He later moved to Louisiana, where he operated a sugar plantation.
Background and Personal Life
Isaac D. Seyburn was born in Wales in March 1824. He was 5 in 6 in (1.68 m), 135 lb (61.2 kg). had blue eyes and dark hair. By profession, he was a "Master MarinerMaster mariner
A Master Mariner or MM is the professional qualification required for someone to serve as the person in charge or person in command of a commercial vessel. In England, the term Master Mariner has been in use at least since the 13th century, reflecting the fact that in guild or livery company terms,...
."
On March 15, 1848, he was married in Pittston, Maine
Pittston, Maine
Pittston is a town in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,548 at the 2000 census. The town was named for the family of John Pitt, who were early settlers....
, to Mary Ann Rogers who was born in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on November 20, 1828. She was a daughter of John Rogers (1800–1863) and Elizabeth Carroll Reynolds (1806–1871). Elizabeth C. Reynolds’ family is descended from Christopher Reynolds who settled in what is now Isle of Wight County, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
(on the south shore of the James River
James River (Virginia)
The James River is a river in the U.S. state of Virginia. It is long, extending to if one includes the Jackson River, the longer of its two source tributaries. The James River drains a catchment comprising . The watershed includes about 4% open water and an area with a population of 2.5 million...
about 10 miles (16.1 km) west of Newport News), before 1630 and received a land grant of 450 acres (1.8 km²) in 1636. Her grandfather, Bernard Reynolds (1763–1833), served in the Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
during the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
.
Isaac and Mary Ann Seyburn had five children, Emily Williamson Seyburn (1853–1934), Mary Catharine Seyburn (1854–1893), Stephen Young Seyburn (1856–1923), Edward Isaac Seyburn (1860–1931) and John Rogers Seyburn (1867–1905) who were all born in Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
.
Seafaring Life
In 1854, Seyburn acquired a brigBrig
A brig is a sailing vessel with two square-rigged masts. During the Age of Sail, brigs were seen as fast and manoeuvrable and were used as both naval warships and merchant vessels. They were especially popular in the 18th and early 19th centuries...
, a two-masted, square-rigged merchant ship of about 116 feet (35.4 m) that he named the Emily W. Seyburn after his first child who had been born the year before. The brig was registered in Pittston, Maine. There are records of its periodic arrival in New York between 1854 and 1860 carrying cargo under charter, e.g., coal from Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, flour from New Orleans, nickel and hides from Montevideo
Montevideo
Montevideo is the largest city, the capital, and the chief port of Uruguay. The settlement was established in 1726 by Bruno Mauricio de Zabala, as a strategic move amidst a Spanish-Portuguese dispute over the platine region, and as a counter to the Portuguese colony at Colonia del Sacramento...
in Uruguay
Uruguay
Uruguay ,officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay,sometimes the Eastern Republic of Uruguay; ) is a country in the southeastern part of South America. It is home to some 3.5 million people, of whom 1.8 million live in the capital Montevideo and its metropolitan area...
. By 1857, the brig was either sold or another Master was hired to sail her because records indicate that Seyburn thereafter was Master of the ship Stephen J. Young (1856–1857), and Master of the ship Lew Chew (1857–1861). Stephen J. Young was the son of Stephen Young, the ship's owner; he was also the owner of the Lew Chew; Seyburn's eldest son was named after him.
Civil War Naval Service
On August 29, 1861, Isaac D. Seyburn volunteered for service in the United States NavyUnited States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and was awarded a temporary commission as an Acting Master
Master (naval)
The master, or sailing master, was a historic term for a naval officer trained in and responsible for the navigation of a sailing vessel...
, a volunteer officer whose term of service was until the end of the Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. The naval rank of "Master" was later replaced by that of "Lieutenant (Junior Grade)
Lieutenant, Junior Grade
Lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer rank in the United States Navy, the United States Coast Guard, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, United States Merchant Marine USMM, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Commissioned Corps, with the pay grade...
." He reported for service in New York on September 10, 1861.
Acting Master Seyburn was seriously wounded in action aboard the steam sloop of war USS Mohican
USS Mohican (1859)
The first USS Mohican was a steam sloop of war in the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She was named for the Mohican tribe....
during the Battle of Port Royal
Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Georgia and Charleston, South Carolina, on November 7, 1861...
on November 7, 1861. The battle was a major Union victory and up until then the largest naval and amphibious force ever assembled by the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Seyburn was wounded when a 32-pound solid minie ball
Minié ball
The Minié ball is a type of muzzle-loading spin-stabilising rifle bullet named after its co-developer, Claude-Étienne Minié, inventor of the Minié rifle...
from defending shore batteries shattered the bones of his lower left leg just above the ankle. Seyburn was treated at the Naval Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, between November 14, 1861 and March 1, 1862. He never regained use of the leg, but was confined to crutches and endured pain for the rest of his life.
Despite his injuries, Acting Master Seyburn continued with his naval service. During his convalescence, Acting Master Seyburn was assigned to the Monitor Board in New York and was a member of the team supervising the construction of the Passaic-class monitor
Monitor (warship)
A monitor was a class of relatively small warship which was neither fast nor strongly armoured but carried disproportionately large guns. They were used by some navies from the 1860s until the end of World War II, and saw their final use by the United States Navy during the Vietnam War.The monitors...
USS Weehawken
USS Weehawken (1862)
The first USS Weehawken was a Passaic-class ironclad monitor in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.Weehawken was launched on 5 November 1862 at Jersey City, New Jersey by Zeno Secor & Company; sponsored by Ms. Nellie Cornstock; and commissioned on 18 January 1863, Captain John...
in Jersey City, New Jersey. At about the time the Weehawken was launched on November 5, 1862, Acting Master Seyburn was ordered to the ironclad steamer USS Galena
USS Galena (1862)
USS Galena — an ironclad screw steamer — was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the Union Navy during the American Civil War....
where he served until the end of her deployment on May 21, 1863 when the ship arrived in Philadelphia for repairs. Galena, commissioned on April 21, 1862, was one of the first three ironclads, each of a different design, built by the US Navy during the Civil War; it was also the second, after the USS Monitor
USS Monitor
USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy during the American Civil War. She is most famous for her participation in the Battle of Hampton Roads on March 9, 1862, the first-ever battle fought between two ironclads...
, to be put under fire.
On June 10, 1863, Acting Master Seyburn was given command of the USS Kittatinny, a three-masted fore-and-aft schooner
Schooner
A schooner is a type of sailing vessel characterized by the use of fore-and-aft sails on two or more masts with the forward mast being no taller than the rear masts....
. While under his command, the Kittatinny was assigned to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron under the overall command of Rear-Admiral David Farragut
David Farragut
David Glasgow Farragut was a flag officer of the United States Navy during the American Civil War. He was the first rear admiral, vice admiral, and admiral in the United States Navy. He is remembered in popular culture for his order at the Battle of Mobile Bay, usually paraphrased: "Damn the...
. The ship is credited with having chased an unidentified schooner ashore on September 22, 1863 where that vessel was burned by her crew, and with having captured the three-masted schooner, Reserve, on October 25, 1863 off Pass Cavallo
Pass Cavallo (Texas)
Pass Cavallo, alternately known as Cavallo Pass, is one of five natural water inlets which separate the Gulf of Mexico and Matagorda Bay, in the U.S. state of Texas. René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle came ashore in Texas at this point. Matagorda Island Lighthouse was originally built on...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
On December 23, 1863, while on deployment off the coast of Texas, Acting Master Seyburn was ordered to proceed with the USS Kittatinny to New Orleans. Shortly after his arrival, Seyburn submitted his resignation. In his letter, dated February 18, 1864, from the station ship USS Portsmouth, Seyburn indicated that he wanted to resign because he had been crippled by his wound and because "the high handed injustice practiced on me by the Commanding officers of the first division of this Squadron is to me insufferable." His resignation was accepted and Acting Master Seyburn was honorably discharged on March 24, 1864 in Gardiner, ME.
Post-War Life
Following his discharge, Seyburn remained in Maine until sometime between July 1869 and March 1870 when he moved his family to LouisianaLouisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, principally due to the warmer climate, where he had acquired the Idlewild Plantation in Patterson
Patterson, Louisiana
Patterson is a small city in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 6,530 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana
St. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
(some 80 miles (128.7 km) southwest of New Orleans). Idlewild was a sugar cane plantation and Isaac D. Seyburn earned his livelihood as a planter. His wife, Mary Ann, died on March 19, 1880 and Isaac D. Seyburn died on March 6, 1895.
Postscript
Isaac D. Seyburn was of the Episcopal faith and attended services at the Holy Trinity Church in Patterson, Louisiana. When the church was deconsecrated in 1940, the stained glass window over the altar, known as the Seyburn Memorial, was acquired by St. Mary’s Episcopal Church in nearby Franklin, LouisianaFranklin, Louisiana
Franklin is a city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, where it remains today.
Idlewild Plantation remained in the family at least until Edward Isaac Seyburn’s son, Edward Reynolds Seyburn, sold it in 1977.It was purchased by Dr. walter H. Daniels.He and his wife Pam still reside in Idlewild.Dr.Daniels efforts got Idlewild Plantation listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
(Designation No. 82000459 of November 2, 1982).
One of the eight Flying Junior
Flying Junior
thumb|Coen Gulcher helming one of the first Flying Juniors The International Flying Junior or FJ is a sailing dinghy which was originally designed in 1955 in the Netherlands by renowned boat designer Van Essen and Olympic sailor Conrad Gülcher. The FJ was built to serve as a training boat for the...
dinghies in the Vanderbilt Sailing Club
Vanderbilt Sailing Club
The Vanderbilt University Sailing Club was founded in 1962 with an initial grant from Harold Stirling Vanderbilt, then the chairman of the University's Board of Trust...
fleet was named for Isaac D. Seyburn, who was the great great great grandfather of a former Commodore of the Club; another was named Lew Chew.
Articles
- The New York Times, "Marine Intelligence," October 23, 1854, March 25, 1857, March 22, 1858, September 18, 1858, February 8, 1860 (all on page 8)
- The New York Times, "News from Washington, Naval Orders," November 15, 1862, page 1.
- The New York Times, "Local Intelligence," May 24, 1863, page 6.
- The News, Port Arthur, TexasPort Arthur, Texas-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
, February 28, 1975, page 9
Genealogical Records
- U.S. Federal Census, 1850, 1860, 1870, 1880, 1900, 1910.
- The Compendium of American Genealogy, 1600s-1800s, Volume VI, Lineage Records, page 660.
- The New England Historic Genealogical Society, The New England Historical and Genealogical Register, 1847-1994, Volume 90, page 358, Boston, 1936
- The New England Historic Genealogical Society, Vital Records of Pittston, Maine, to the Year 1892
- Office of the Secretary of State, Louisiana, New Orleans, Louisiana Death Records Index, 1804-1949.
- Stephanie J. Richmond, National Archives and Records Administration, Old Military and Civil Records Branch, Textual Archives Services Division, Letter dated March 10, 2005, ref. 2503577/sr.
- National Archives and Records Administration, Union Pension Applications, 1861–1938, Invalid Pension Application No. 943, Certificate No. 3369, the "Pension File" of Seyburn, Isaac D., U.S. Navy, Acting Master.
Maritime & Naval Records
- Baker, William Avery, A Maritime History of Bath, Maine and the Kennebec River Region, Volume II, Appendix A - Construction Record, pages 916, 954 & 955, The Marine Research Society of Bath, Bath, Maine, 1973.
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume 12, South Atlantic Blockading Squadron from October 29, 1861 to May 13, 1862, pages 265- 266, U.S. Government Printing Office (USGPO), Washington, D.C., 1901.
- Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies in the War of the Rebellion, Series I, Volume 20, West Gulf Blockading Squadron from March 15 to December 31, 1863, pages 434, 596, 641, 732, U.S. Government Printing Office (USGPO), Washington, D.C., 1905.
- American Lloyds' Registry of American and Foreign Shipping, Ships, Lew Chew, No. 1495, page 62, Ferris & Pratt, New York, 1861.
External links
- The Iron Captains, Union Ironclad Commanders, A Note on Ranks, (http://www.wideopenwest.com/~jenkins/ironclads/ironcapt.htm#unionskippers)
- Max Shaw, Port Royal Expedition, November 1861, Civil War @ Charleston Website, (http://www.awod.com/gallery/probono/cwchas/portry.html)
- Sarah Gates Sully, History of St. Mary’s Episcopal Church, Franklin, Louisiana,
(http://www.rootsweb.com/~lastmary/sully/stmaryhistory.htm)
- National Register of Historic Places, State Listings, Louisiana - St. Mary County(http://www.nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/LA/St%2E+Mary/state.html)
- USS Kittatinny, Dictionary of American Naval Fighting ShipsDictionary of American Naval Fighting ShipsThe Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships is the official reference work for the basic facts about ships used by the United States Navy...
, U.S. Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C. (http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/k4/kittatinny.htm)