David Shelton Edwards papers, 1821-1874.

0.42 linear feet (1 box)

English

In English.

Purchased from Marc Selvaggio on the Frederick W. and Carrie S. Beinecke Fund for Western Americana, 2007.

Organized into four series: I. Correspondence, 1821-1859. II. Diaries, 1836-1871. III. Legal and Financial Papers, 1826-1842. IV. Personal Papers, 1833-1874.

This material is open for research.

David Shelton Edwards was a fleet surgeon and medical director in the United States Navy. During his early career, he served in China and Manila, where he encountered cholera and gained experience treating the disease. In 1822, he joined the USS Grampus, where he hunted pirates in the West Indies. He then served in Brazil, Africa, and the Florida Gulf Coast at Pensacola Navy Yard and the Keys until he joined the Mexican War in 1847, where he witnessed the battles of Contreas, Chapultepec, and the occupation of Mexico City. Thereafter, he served at naval yards in New York City, Washington, D.C., and New Bedford, Massachusetts. In 1869 he was appointed president of the Board of Medical Examiners.

Correspondence, diaries, legal and financial records, and personal papers comprise the David Shelton Edwards Papers. Correspondence includes letters to and from David Shelton Edwards and his parents, his wife Harriet, his children, and other friends and family members. Diaries document Edwards's activities as a physician, surgeon, and officer of the United States Navy, particularly his time at the Pensacola Navy Yard and his service during the Mexican War. The diaries include his accounts of the Battle of Chapultepec and the capture of Mexico City. The legal and financial records comprise contracts, deeds, and receipts for property and goods purchased, as well as a 1849 list of medicine provided for the USS Frigate Raritas upon Edwards's request. Personal papers include caricatures of the New York Recruiting Service, medical notes, and school reports for his son, William S. Edwards. Personal papers also include one engraving of David S. Edwards and one photograph of a woman identified as "Grandma Edwards."

Archives or Manuscripts / Images

August 26, 2013

David Shelton Edwards Papers. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

David Shelton Edwards Papers. Yale Collection of Western Americana, Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library.

Ship physicians United States.