American Historical Ephemera & Early Photography Online

[CIVIL WAR] -- [U.S. NAVY]. Letter archive associated with Hiram Parker, Jr. (1841-1918), a naval engineer with service in the Civil War and the South Pacific and South Atlantic Squadrons.

Approx. 70 letters, spanning 1862-1953 (bulk 1870s), accompanied by more than a dozen pieces of ephemera. A large portion of letters in the collection (approx. 22) are written to Hiram Parker, Jr. by family and friends while Parker was in the U.S. Navy; approximately 17 letters are written by Parker , including one Civil War-date letter and over a dozen letters written post-war while he was still in the service. Many letters with original covers, including several bearing oval handstamps "U.S. Flag-Ship / Lancaster" with border made of rope. Ephemera and assorted receipts related to Hiram Parker's children; Pottsville High School; and Parker's tours in South America, highlighted by 6 account slips from the U.S.S. Lancaster, 1871-1872, a business card for "August Luschnath, Naturalist," from Bahia [Brazil], and a small advertising card for "Hotel Figueiredo" in Bahia.

Parker writes eloquently, and his often lengthy letters (4pp+) provide interesting detail about his thoughts and travels. Notable amongst his correspondence are the following: a letter from the "Steamer Louisiana / Newbern [NC]," 17 June 1864, in which Parker describes his feelings on the potential reelection of Abraham Lincoln; a letter from "Lancaster / Montevideo [Uruguay]," 9 May 1871, describing a visit from "Bishop Sterling of the Church of England" to the ship, and yellow fever in "Buenos Ayres"; a letter of 23 June 1871 [no place] in which Parker describes the emotional departure of the respected Captain [Stephen Decatur] Trenchard as Captain of the USS Lancaster, and the arrival of Captain [James William Augustus] Nicholson to assume command; and several 1871 letters describing ongoing violence and unrest in Uruguay on account of revolutionaries.

Correspondence to Parker while he is at sea predominantly carries news of home and family, and comes from a variety of correspondents including his mother, his father, and his wife Mary "Mollie" Elizabeth Sparks. Also included is an 1864 letter from "Molly Lizzie Sparks" to her sister, Julia Sparks (who would marry Parker after her older sister's death), and other Sparks family letters. A smaller number of letters represent business correspondence to and from Hiram Parker. Five letters are written on "Sparks & Parker" letterhead, representing the company Parker formed in Pottsville, PA, after his enlistments ended. Later correspondence is associated with Hiram Parker's children, including Dr. Jabez Sparks Parker (1874-1924), a Philadelphia physician.

Hiram Parker, Jr. was born in Pottsville, Schuylkill County, Pennsylvania, in 1841, the son of Hiram Parker and Sarah Crafts Parker. According to his obituary from Philadelphia's the Evening Public Ledger, "He enlisted in 1861 as assistant engineer and was assigned to duty on the gunboat Kanawha. In the Gulf Squadron, under command of Admirals Farragut and Porter. He was later assigned to the gunboat Tacony, on which he completed his civil war service. He participated in a number of naval engagements, notably the bombardment and capture of Fort Fisher, North Carolina. After the close of the war he was with the South Pacific Squadron for three years, and was the acting chief engineer of the Powhatan...." In addition to the service listed in his obituary, Parker had war-time service on the gunboat Louisiana, and served for three years with the South Atlantic Squadron, being first assistant engineer on board the Lancaster. U.S., Navy and Marine Corps Registries indicate that Parker retired from the Navy 18 February 1875. Following resumption of his civilian life, Parker returned to his hometown of Pottsville, PA. There he entered into business with Jabez Sparks (1819-1884), forming the manufacturer Sparks & Parker. Hiram Parker married Mary E. Sparks (1843-1883), the eldest daughter of Jabez Sparks, and they had three children. After Mary's death in 1883, Parker married again in 1885, to Mary's sister Julia Sparks (1844-1912).