The Research Journey Begins

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Hello All,

I write you all during this holiday season with a few updates to share about the USS Arizona Civil War Project Fund.

One of goals that the board outlined for the fund leadership earlier this year was to revisit the trove of research that the late Mr. Christopher left behind us. As a self-proclaimed “historian” I was more than happy to take up the task and outline an approach to tackle the cache of information.

 The first part of my strategy is to track down the core primary sources that are associated with the Arizona. These sources include diaries, letters, logbooks or other personal recollections of individuals who actually participated or witnessed events associated with the ship. Mr. Christopher had discovered many of these in past, but a few of their locations and content has been lost. The second part of my strategy is to locate and review any military or government records associated with the Arizona or any individuals connect to the ship and its service years.

Here are a couple resources I hope to track down in the coming year:

  • USS Arizona Logbook
  • The Letters of LT. Daniel P. Upton: Captain of the Arizona in 1863
  • Records of LT. Upton’s Court Martial(s)
  • Records of the Harlan and Hollingsworth: Shipbuilder of the Arizona
  • Letters/Diary entries associated with any of the Arizona’s engagements

So with these challenges at hand, I will spend the next few months diving into the Arizona’s past. I hope to share highlights from this journey and hopefully you will be compelled to join me in the discussions on our website.

Check back in the coming days for an update on my trip to the Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. In the meantime, please see the links below for ways you can support our efforts.

Happy New Year,

Colin

  • Donate to our cause and directly contribute to locating, surveying and securing the wreck of the USS Arizona -  ussarizonacivilwar.org/donate
  • Explore ussarizonacivilwar.org  to learn more about the ship, the fund, and our upcoming projects.
  • Volunteer in any way you can as we are always looking for additional support – fundraising, outreach, research, etc.  Contact info@ussarizonacivilwar.org  for opportunities