A collection of personal and naval papers belonging to Commodore Selim Edwin Woodworth I and Lieutenant Selim Edwin Woodworth II.

Selim Edwin Woodworth (1815-1871) was a United States naval officer and the son of poet Samuel Woodworth; he led the rescue of the Donner Party shortly after his arrival in San Francisco in the winter of 1847. Woodworth was elected to the California State Senate, representing Monterey, in 1849; he then became president of the San Francisco Committee of Vigilance in 1851, and re-entered the Navy to serve as an officer in the United States fleet on the Mississippi River during the Civil War. He died in San Francisco in 1871. His son Selim Edwin Woodworth (1857-1900) graduated with honors from the Naval Academy in 1877; he resigned with the rank of lieutenant in 1891. At the outbreak of the Spanish-American war, he volunteered his services and was assigned to the collier Nero, which was convoyed to the Philippines by the United States monitor Monadnock. The younger Woodworth, suffering from ill-health, secured passage on the German ship Luxor, bound for New York. He never arrived as his heart began to trouble him and he was sent ashore at Valparaiso, Chile, for treatment; the attack proved fatal, and he died there on August 8, 1900.

7.5 Linear Feet (6 boxes)

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.

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