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Re: [CRV] foriegn travel 1840 (fwd): query



Here are some suggestions based upon experience in my own research as well as work at a former institution.  

To the best of my knowledge the only place to find consular records is at the National Archives.  I do know what exists for Argentina.  What you should find there if the records exist are letters exchanged between the consul and the State Department, quarterly reports of U. S. vessels that arrived in and departed from the port or district in which the consul was assigned, and records of assistance provided to U. S. citizens.  The quarterly reports commonly give the name of the vessel and her captain, the port from which she sailed, the date she arrived at the foreign port, a brief description of the cargo carried, the number of people in the crew, the number of passengers, and the date she sailed from that foreign port.  An analysis of these records may well provide some information on the nature of American business relations with Argentina at the time.  A lot of this information has been microfilmed.  Some major academic research libraries have copies.  Copies can also be purchased from the National Archives.

I will hazzard a guess that unless Daniel Dickinson wrote something about his meeting with Van Buren, information about that meeting does not exist.  The National Archives also has registers issued to vessels sailing our of most American ports.  These documents include the date a vessel was built; her size in length, bredth, and depth as well as in tonnage; and a list of all the owners.  They also have records of American vessels departing from and arriving at some of the American ports. 

The most extensive record of existing ships logbooks and private journals is the Union List of Logbooks and Journals at the G. W. Blunt White Library at Mystic Seaport Museum, P O Box 6000, Mystic, CT 06355-0990.  What you will need to provide is the name and rig or type of vessel and the date of the voyage.  In most cases, the year will be sufficient.  It will also help to give the place from which the vessel sailed and the place at which she arrived.  The library has been collecting this information from around the country for about 30 years, but I have no idea how many such records exist that are not included in their list.    

Both the Baltimore American and Commercial Daily Advertiser and the Baltimore Sun of the time have good information about vessels sailing from and arriving at that city. 



Charles R. Schultz, CA
Professor and Clements Archivist
Cushing Library
Texas A&M University
College Station, TX  77843-5000
c-schultz@tamu.edu
409-862-1555
FAX 409-845-1441

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when it comes to speeding up efficiency in the office.
Ann Landers Gem of the Day, July 27, 1994

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