To My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, 1853-1855

George B. Gideon Jr. served as second assistant engineer aboard the USS Powhatan from 1852 to 1856 and penned fifty-one letters to his wife, Lide, documenting his daily life on board and observations of historical events during Commodore Perry's expedition to Japan. The letters provide a rare first-person account of the expedition and shed light on the navy's dysfunction in the 1850s.

Format: Hardback
Length: 264 pages
Publication date: 30 August 2019
Publisher: The University of Alabama Press

George B. Gideon Jr. served as the second assistant engineer on the USS Powhatan from 1852 to 1856. From his position on the steam frigate, Gideon traveled to various Asian lands, including Singapore, Labuan, Borneo, Hong Kong, and many others. During his time at sea, Gideon penned dozens of letters to his wife, Lide, back home in Philadelphia. Recently discovered in the attic of his great-great-grandniece, were fifty-one letters penned by Gideon providing thorough and insightful commentary throughout the voyage.

Through these correspondences, Gideon meticulously documents the details of his daily life on board, from the food they ate to the technical aspects of his work, as well as observations concerning the historical events unfolding around him, such as Chinese piracy, the Taiping Rebellion, the Crimean War, and the devastation of Shimoda.

To My Dearest Wife, Lide: Letters from George B. Gideon Jr. during Commodore Perry's Expedition to Japan, 1853–1855 is a rare first-person account of the landmark American naval expedition to Japan to establish commercial relations between the two countries. Gideon's letters have been meticulously transcribed and annotated by the editors and are an invaluable primary historical source.

Gideon's letters are candid and revealing, delving into the rampant dysfunction in the navy of the 1850s—sickness and disease, alcohol abuse, and poor leadership, among other challenges. Gideon also unabashedly shares his own cynical views of the navy's role in supporting American economic interests in Japan. This firsthand account of the political mission of the Perry expedition is a unique contribution to naval and military history and gives readers a better understanding of the complexities of the era.

In conclusion, George B. Gideon Jr.'s letters provide a unique and valuable insight into the life of a nineteenth-century sailor and the historical events of the time. They offer a glimpse into the challenges and complexities of the navy and the political mission of the Perry expedition. Through his letters, Gideon has left a lasting legacy that continues to inspire and inform historians and scholars.

Weight: 562g
Dimension: 164 x 237 x 28 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780817320232