The Collected Library, Including Americana and Early Photography

October 30, 1833. Bifolium sheet, 9 3/4 x 8 in. (248 x 203 mm). Letter signed by Commodore John Rodgers, to Lt. Commander Hiram Paulding of the USS Shark. In part: "...You will make a requisition upon the Commandant of the Navy Yard New York, for a digest of the Laws of the United States, after such other books as may be defined by the regulations as allowed to vessels of the class of the Shark..." Docket on verso. Creasing from old folds, scattered foxing.

Commodore John Rodgers (1772-1838) was a senior officer in the U.S. Navy during his tenure from the 1790s-1830s. He played a key role in developing the standards and customs of the Navy, and was a major advocate for the establishment of an American Naval Academy.

Hiram Paulding (1797-1878) was a career U.S. Naval Officer who served with distinction from the War of 1812 through the American Civil War, eventually attaining the rank of Rear Admiral.