Journal of Father Adam Marshall 1824-1825
Scranton, PA: University of Scranton Press, 1943. Presumed First Edition, First printing. Wraps. [8], 61, [3] pages. Cover has some wear and soiling. Decorative front cover. Footnotes. Illustrations. Introduction. The Journal Appendix I. Father Marshall's Biography. Appendix II, The History of the Treaty. RARE. This is the Diary of the maiden voyage of the first Catholic priest to hold an office on an American ship of war. It is the story of Father Adam Marshall of the Society of Jesus, Schoolmaster (1824-1825) and Chaplain to the midshipmen of the United States ship-of-the-line North Carolina. He was not only the first Chaplain; he was the first casualty among the catholic priests in the service of the United States Navy, for he died from consumption on the homeward voyage of the North Carolina and was honorably buried at sea. Priest, educator, and author. Durkin was a longtime history professor at Georgetown University. He earned his undergraduate and master's degrees at Boston College in 1928 and 1930 respectively. He studied theology at Woodstock College in Maryland and was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1933; he then completed his Ph.D. in history at Fordham University in 1942. After teaching history at the University of Scranton from 1942 to 1944, Durkin joined the faculty of Georgetown University in 1944, where he helped establish the American studies program and remained until his 1972 retirement. Durkin was also a prolific author and editor, publishing over two dozen books, including Armorer of the Confederacy, Secretary Mallory, Alexis Carrel, Savant Mystique, and The Maryland Jesuits,1634-1833. USS North Carolina was a 74-gun ship of the line in the United States Navy. Adam Marshall SJ (November 18, 1785 – September 20, 1825) was an American Catholic priest and Jesuit. He briefly served as president of Washington Seminary, and later served as the first Catholic chaplain in the United States Navy. Marshall became the most powerful figure in the Jesuit mission in Maryland, eventually becoming the Procurator of the Corporation of Roman Catholic Clergymen of Maryland during the suppression of the Society of Jesus. In 1822, he was stationed at Washington Seminary (which later became Gonzaga College High School) and was placed in charge of the worldly affairs of the Jesuit mission in Maryland. In the beginning of 1824, Marshall was appointed the second president of Washington Seminary, succeeding Anthony Kohlmann. During his presidency, the students of the Seminary partook in the first civic procession in Washington by joining in the commemoration of the Declaration of Independence on the Fourth of July of 1824. While president, Marshall also gave a speech at Georgetown College during a reception for the Marquis de Lafayette, with his students in attendance. Marshall became ill with tuberculosis, which affected his lungs. His physicians advised that he take a reprieve from duties at the school and recommended he undertake a sea voyage. Through the intervention of Commodore John Rodgers, whose two sons were students at Gonzaga, Marshall obtained a position in the United States Navy. Marshall was commissioned an officer in 1824 and was assigned to the USS North Carolina, a ship of the line. His official position was schoolmaster to the midshipmen, but he unofficially doubled as chaplain to the Catholic sailors, making him the first Catholic chaplain in the United States Navy. The religious services on board were conducted by an Episcopalian minister whose sermons Marshall noted that he admired, and Marshall was not permitted to say Mass; rather, his duty was to counsel and hear confession. The North Carolina left port in Norfolk, Virginia, on December 1, 1824, for a cruise of the Mediterranean. In the final entry of Marshall's diary, the lieutenant of the watch notes that while underway, at 2:30 a.m. on September 20, 1825, during the voyage from Naples to Gibraltar, the priest died of his disease. He was buried at sea at 10 a.m. with all hands on deck. On October 22, Commodore Rodgers communicated the news to the Secretary of the Navy. Considered by many the most powerful naval vessel then afloat, North Carolina served in the Mediterranean as flagship for Commodore John Rodgers from 29 April 1825 to 18 May 1827. In the early days of the Republic, as today, a display of naval might brought a nation prestige and enhanced its commerce. This proved to be the case when Rodgers' squadron laid the groundwork for the 1830 commercial treaty with Turkey, opening ports of the Eastern Mediterranean and the Black Sea to American traders. Condition: Good.
Keywords: USS North Carolina, Ship-of-the-Line, Naval Chaplain, Catholic Priest, Jesuit, Commercial Treaty, Turkey, Commodore John Rodgers, Midshipmen
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