Sunday Aboard USS Richmond in 1890
There is a set of six photos taken aboard USS Richmond available in high resolution from the Library of Congress. The Library of Congress notes that the photos were published between 1890 and 1901. My guess is that they were taken on a single Sunday morning in the summer of 1890 as "Flagship Richmond" returned from her last active role as a cruising warship of the United States Navy. She had served as flagship of the South Atlantic Station.
Even though these photos were likely taken about 25 years after the war, very little has changed. Richmond perhaps looks a little more spotless than she would have after years of hard duty of blockade and battle, but in terms of her fittings and armament, she is much the same ship that fought at New Orleans, Vicksburg, and Mobile Bay. Her main battery is still composed primarily of smoothbore 9-Inch Dahlgrens. In a world in which the major navies are building steel pre-dreadnoughts and cruisers, USS Richmond with her rope-hauled Dahlgrens manned by cutlass wielding sailors is an anachronism, and I imagine that the photographer came aboard to get these last glimpses of the Old Steam Navy.
Richmond is an old ship, but she is a proud ship.
The First Photo: The Church Service from the Port Side
Sunday church services aboard USS Richmond Circa 1890. The highest resolution version of this photo may be found here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016795163/
The enlisted sailors are sitting upon benches on the gun deck of USS Richmond. The sailors in the back row are sitting on either side of a 9-Inch Dahlgren. Most of the sailors appear fairly young. It doesn't look to me as if any are holding a hymnal or prayerbook.
Again, the facial expressions interest me: the clergyman, the marines on either side of the wheel, the young sailor looking over his shoulder
An organ has been placed on the deck for the church service. Visible just to the left of the organ is a bearded old senior officer. He does not appear in the other photo of the church service taken at this time. I presume him to be the admiral.
A sailor's hat sits upon the hatch. Note the cutlasses and 9-Inch shot rack.
Other sailors in the front row appear to have placed their hats upon the 9-inch shot.
An officer standing beside the mizzen mast looks down from the port side of the quarterdeck
The ship's officers sit on the starboard side of the gun deck. Note that the sight on the breech of the 9-inch Dahlgren is uncovered
Two of Richmond's boats hang from the starboard, aftmost davits
The Second Photo: The Church Service from the Starboard Side
The Church Service aboard "Flagship Richmond" as vied from the starboard side. - Circa 1890. The photo may be found here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016804161/
Notice the adjustable rear sight of the 9-Inch Dahlgren and in the other Dahlgren in the rear left of the photo the firing hammer can also be seen above the breech.
I believe that the wheel of a "roller handspike" can be seen in this photo. The roller handspike was used in conjunction with the loop at the back of the Marsilly carriage to aid in running the carriage in or out. The Marsilly carriage had skids in place of rear wheels to aid in transferring the recoil of the cannon via friction to the deck.
The ship's senior officers can be seen in the photo. Note that the officers are holding round caps. In an upcoming photo of the inspection aboard ship, the officers will be wearing (or holding) bicorn hats.
Up on the quarterdeck, what appears to be a gatling gun may be seen. USS Richmond's logbooks do not appear to have yet been digitized, but USS Kearsarge's logbook for the spring and summer of 1890 list the "Boat Armament" as a "Light Gatling" and 3-Inch BLR Howitzer.
I believe the boat howitzer may be seen in this photo. Note that unlike the Dahlgren Boat Howitzers of the 1850s-1860s, ammunition boxes are carried on each side of the tube. Again, USS Kearsarge's logbook for the spring and summer of 1890 list the "Boat Armament" as a "Light Gatling" and 3-Inch BLR Howitzer.
The clergyman who is leading the service stands behind a Communion Table - which only has books upon it (presumably a Bible, Hymnal, and/or Prayerbook). No Communion vessels are in sight.
Once again it can be seen that the Marine's hand is upon the wheel. "Richmond" is carved into a wooden board above the wheel. Again, see the cutlasses and the 9-Inch shot in the shot racks. Notice the brass "cage" above the hatchway leading down to the berth deck - visitors to USS Constitution pass through a similar structure to descend from that ship's spar deck.
Just to be a bit ridiculous: Is that Morpheus from "The Matrix" in the center background of this photo?
9-Inch Dahlgren which is believed to have been aboard USS Richmond (likely at the time of the photo). The rear portion of the Marsilly carriage may be seen in this photo. This cannon is displayed in New Hope, Pennsylvania and also served aboard USS Minnesota. More photos of this cannon may be found: here.
The Third Photo: Polishing Brightwork
Brightwork being polished aboard USS Richmond on a Sunday in 1890. The main photo. Subsequent photos are details from the highest resolution available here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016804163/
Detail of first photo: Note the lettered buckets spelling "US Flagship" - likely noting the ship's last cruise as the Flagship of the South Atlantic Station in 1889-1890. Note also the metal tracks on the deck, likely showing the position of the 8-Inch MLR. I believe the gunports in this area are larger, too, allowing for the heavy pivot to be fired on a greater bearing.
The buckets on the starboard side spelling "Richmond" can be seen. Note the small cannon visible on the forecastle deck.
The 9-Inch Dahlgrens on the starboard side. Note the firing hammers and sights are visible. Also note that these Dahlgrens have been modified by having their trunnions shortened for use on iron carriages. Not all Dahlgrens were modified in this way.
A young African American sailor looks at a piece of paper while two other sailors look on. One is holding a cutlass (for polishing).
Notice the laundry hanging in the rigging.
The Admiral's steam barge - note the sailor working aboard the barge
Sailors work on maintaining the port battery. Note the sailor coiling the Dahlgren's firing lanyard
Sailors polish the brass cage over the companionway leading to the berth deck.
A detail of the breech of one of the 9-Inch Dahlgrens
"An August Morning with Farragut: The Battle of Mobile Bay, August 5, 1864." Painted by William Haysham Overend in 1883. Now on display in the Wadsworth Atheneum in Hartford, Connecticut. While this painting depicts USS Hartford at Mobile Bay and the perspective is looking aft towards the quarterdeck, the painting illustrates a US Navy Steam Sloop of War in action. USS Richmond is in the painting, following astern of Hartford
9-Inch Dahlgren Number 481 at the American Swedish Historical Museum in Philadelphia. I do not know, but I suspect that this "short trunnion" 9-Inch Dahlgren was aboard USS Richmond in 1890. During the war it was carried aboard USS Osceola.
The Fourth Photo - Sunday Morning Inspection
'USS Richmond - Sunday Morning Inspection" (Circa 1890). Many comments in the previous photos have asked about the Pith Helmets. Look at all the pith helmets of the US Marines! Officers seen in the Church Service photos can also be seen on deck - including the ship's Captain. Full version of the photo here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016804162/
The Fifth Photo - “Stand By to Lay Aloft”
"USS Richmond - Stand By to Lay Aloft" (Circa 1890) - Sailors pose for the camera as if about to ascend into the rigging of the mizzenmast. Note the carriage at right. Based on previous photos, I believe this to be the wheel of the ship's light gatling. Full version of the photo here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016795150/
The Sixth Photo - The Forecastle
"USS Richmond - Forecastle" (Circa 1890) - Note the sailors looking directly into the camera, the cigarettes, the sewing machine, and the sailors reading. Also note the tracks on the deck in the back right of the photo. I believe these tracks are for the 8-Inch Muzzle Loading Rifle mounted as a Pivot Gun. Near the tracks you can see what look like the base of modern, folding metal music stands - is that what they are. The photo is taken by the funnel - the forecastle proper is a little farther forward. Full version of the photo here: https://www.loc.gov/item/2016804160/
8-Inch "180-Pounder" Muzzle Loading Rifle converted in 1877 from an 11-Inch Dahlgren originally cast in 1863. When it was donated to Lambertville, New Jersey circa 1900, it was said to have come from USS Richmond. This is the only weapon aboard which might have been able to make an impression upon the steel hulled ships of the 1880s. Read more about this cannon and find additional photos here: https://www.santee1821.net/preserved-artillery/the-8-inch-muzzle-loading-rifle-of-lambertville-new-jersey
USS Richmond in the last years of her career. The extra-wide port of the 8-Inch Pivot Rifle can be seen forward of the funnel - matching the tracks on the deck of previous photos. NHHC Photo: https://www.history.navy.mil/content/history/nhhc/our-collections/photography/numerical-list-of-images/nhhc-series/nh-series/NH-69000/NH-69794.html
