William H. Allen papers, 1800-1838

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Summary

Creators:
Allen, William Henry, 1784-1813
Abstract:
A collection of letters related to William Henry Allen, American naval officer during the War of 1812.
Extent:
2.4 Linear Feet (2 boxes)
Language:
Materials are in English.
Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William H. Allen papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Background

Scope and content:

A collection of letters from William H. Allen to his father, General William Allen, and sister Sarah B. Allen Rhodes written from 1800 to 1813; some letters are accompanied by sketches and drawings. Also included are letters from members of the Allen and Rhodes families, including Thomas Jones Allen, George Willam Talbot, Peleg Allen Rhodes, George N. Allen, and James H. Rhodes.

Biographical / historical:

William Henry Allen (1784-1813) was an United States Naval officer and hero of the War of 1812. He was the son of militia General William Allen, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and Sarah Jones, sister of the future governor of Rhode Island; William H. Allen chose a career in the Navy. In 1800, he was appointed midshipman in the United States Navy and left for his first cruise onboard the George Washington; he also served on the ships Philadelphia, John Adams, Congress, and Constitution. He then joined, as a third lieutenant, the Chesapeake shortly before its surrender to the British ship Leopard in 1807. Allen was appointed first lieutenant of the ship United States in 1809 and given command of the sloop Argus in 1813. He was badly wounded in an action with the British brig Pelican later that year and died in a British prison.

Acquisition information:
Purchased from A.S.W. Rosenbach, before 1927.
Processing information:

Processed by Huntington Library staff in approximately 1937; in December 2024, Gayle M. Richardson created the finding aid.

Arrangement:

Arranged chronologically.

Rules or conventions:
Describing Archives: A Content Standard

Access and use

Restrictions:

Open for use by qualified researchers and by appointment. Please contact Reader Services at the Huntington Library for more information.

Terms of access:

The Huntington Library does not require that researchers request permission to quote from or publish images of this material, nor does it charge fees for such activities. The responsibility for identifying the copyright holder, if there is one, and obtaining necessary permissions rests with the researcher.

Preferred citation:

[Identification of item]. William H. Allen papers, The Huntington Library, San Marino, California.

Location of this collection:
1151 Oxford Road
San Marino, CA 91108, US
Contact:
(626) 405-2191
reference@huntington.org
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