The Mail Packet Project 2018

The ‘Mail Packet’ is an educational project conducted by the ‘HMS Acasta’ Royal Naval reenactment group. The project began in 2013 and the crew have received hundreds of period letters and packages from all over the world! It’s an awesome educational opportunity, not only for the recipient and the writer, but also for the public that gets to see and share in the experience.

It has been decided that the MAIL PACKET for 2018 will be delivered at the Jane Austen Festival in Louisville, Kentucky on the weekend of July 13-15! 

The year is 1805 and the Acasta and her crew have just returned to port in Portsmouth, England.

Finished letters and packages will need to be in my hands by JUNE 30th so that I have enough time to get it in the packet for delivery.

People wrote letters for all manner of reasons in the period, business, duty, amusement, love, courtship, marriage, friendship etc.

Imagine all the things you do in your modern life that involve communication, now imagine if it all had to be done with a pen and paper. The people the Acastas portray wrote as a part of their daily lives, because they had to.

A few prompts on what you might write:

A Letter from a friend or colleague back home. 

(But none from 'immediate family' if you please. Imagine how awkward it is to get three different letters from women claiming to be your ‘wife’ or ‘mother’.)

A bill or request for payment, they’re not just for your modern mailbox!

An overdue payment of a debt.

A letter carrying news of the war(s)

Letters should be addressed thusly:

Recipient's Rank and Name

HMS Acasta

PORTSMOUTH

While the sender’s 'return address' was occasionally added, it was not a universal thing like we know on the mail of today.

WHO SHOULD I WRITE TO?

Some of the Acastas that attend Jane Austen Fest on a regular basis are:

James Apple, Carpenter 

Nicholas Armitage, Purser 

John Griswold, Ship's Chaplain 

Jean Baptiste Girard, Surgeon's Mate

Michael Schwendau, Cook

Charles Winchester, Able Seaman

Sam Linden, Vol. 1st Class

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me via the Royal Navy Doctor Facebook page, or via my email at:

January List

I am pleased to report that general complaints are down overall, save for Ulcers, whose increase is to be expected during prolong'd service in wet and cold conditions.

Compiled and submitted for the month of January by Ship's Surgeon A. Roberts, HMS Acasta.

A Letter for the Commodore

A letter was recently laid in my hands to foward to Commodore Hurlbut.

To:  Commodore Hulburt                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

St Mary's    
30 Jan'y 1815

Sir,
   
    Please accept my kindest thanks for the frequent missiles you have sent me. I now write you Rowland for an Oliver and I hasten to reply.

    I start this missile with the joyous news of New Orleans.  General Jackson's campaign seems to be well appreciated, both in this country and in Europe. It will occupy an honorable place in history.
   
    The chances for peace should, if fighting a reasonable people, be good, for they the gentlemen of Parliament are certainly a whipped people, but are too proud to acknowledge it. Pride, "The never failing vice of fools" can only prolong this war.  I hope sincerely the days of peace are near, when we can beat our swords into pruning hooks, and return to the benign pursuits of peace, and nuture our families.

    My sense of propriety dictates, that He, who rules the universe knows what is best for us all, that is dictated by infinite wisdom, not some king with no mandate from the people, and I am consequently constrained to say, Our Father, "Thy Will be done".

    In my youth, before my disability I was like a tiger robbed of his whelps in battle, I was like a destroying angel, no height to bold, no sea to deep, no fastness too stormy, that I did not solicit to be permitted to storm. Permission was granted, and with the assistance of bold hearts and willing hands, I was the instrument of my country against the foul French.  Under such impulses I did storm, what was considered untakeable.  the Le Bon Pierre was my first prize as Master. While in Command during that little war with the French I maintained a full crew with not a casualty.  I feel that I have performed my duty.  I suppose that my period has about expired in the Navy of my great country and I daily hope to hear that it is successfully finished with a peace we can all enjoy.  I love my country so that I am still willing to honor "Ole Glory", our starry banner as long as I possess the power to do so, and will assist to place it, and lead the way, to the top mast.

      You should call on me here after the war. The climate is very pleasant, that having been no snow yet and very little weather which can be called cold.  The dampness of the atmosphere, however, renders warm fires nessecary half the time. Oysters are abundant on the coast and are now beginning to come in plentifully. Shad and other fish are beginning to make their appearance.  They Are delicious.

I have the Honor to be with great Respect,

Sir your Obedt. Servant.

Hugh G. Campbell

P.S. Remember me kindly to Captain Lee whom I meet in Malta before the Current episode.

The Honourable Edmund Sexton Pery Knox

KNOX.

Acasta Lieutenant under Capt. Dunn & Beaver, 1806, aged 19 years.

The Honourable Edmund Sexton Pery Knox, born in 1787, is second son of Thomas, first Earl of Ranfurly, by Diana Jane, eldest daughter and coheir of Edmund Viscount Pery, Speaker of the Irish House of Commons in the Parliaments of 1771, 1776, and 1783. He is brother of the present Earl of Ranfurly.

This officer entered the Navy, in Nov. 1799, as Fst.-cl. Vol., on board the Ethalion 38, Capt. John Clarke Searle, and on 25 of the following Dec. was wrecked on the Penmarck rocks. In May, 1800, he joined the Seahorse 38, Capt. Edw. Jas. Foote, under whom we find him escorting Rear-Admiral Sir Rich. Bickerton and General Sir Ralph Abercromby to the Mediterranean, the latter back again to England, and 10 sail of Indiamen to Calcutta, besides being for some time employed in attendance upon the King and Queen off Weymouth. From Oct. 1802 until F.eb. 1806 Mr. Knox served in the Mediterranean as Midshipman of the Jnso 32, Capt. Henry Richardson. He then became attached for short periods to the Halcyon 16, Capt. Henry Whitmarsh Pearse, Queen 98, flag-ship of Lord Collingwood, and Entreprenaktb cutter, Lieut.-Commander Robt. Benj. Young ; and on 1 Sept. in the same year, 1806, he was made Lieutenant in the Acasta 40, Capts. Rich. Dalling Dunn and Philip Beaver, lying at Plymouth. His succeeding appointments were—on 18 of the latter month, to the Narcissus 32, Capt. Chas. Malcolm, stationed in the Channel—16 Jan. 1808, to the Princess Charlotte 38, Capt. Geo. Tobin, with whom he was for eight months employed on the coast of

Acasta Capt. Beaver

Ireland— and 5 July, 1809, to the acting-command of the Pultusk sloop in the West Indies, whence he invalided in the ensuing Aug. On 24 Feb. 1810 Capt. Knox, who had been confirmed in the rank of Commander by commission dated 2 June, 1809, was appointed to the Castilian sloop off Deal Continuing but two months in that vessel, he next, on 3 Aug. 1810, obtained command of the St. Fiorenzo troop-ship. He attained Post-rank 28 Feb. 1812; and was lastly, from 22 March until 21 Jime, 1814, employed as Flag-Captain to Rear-Admirals Hon. Chas. Elphinstone Fleeming and Sam. Hood Linzee, in the Eurotas 38, off Cadiz and Gibraltar. He accepted his present rank 1 Oct. 1846. The Rear-Admiral married, 3 July, 1813, Jane Sophia, fifth daughter of Wm. Hope Vere, Esq., and sister of Jas. Hope, Esq., of Craigie Hall West Lothian, N. B. By that lady he has issue one son (an officer in the Army) and three daughters.

Source: A NAVAL BIOGRAPHICAL DICTIONARY: COMPRISING THE LIFE AND SERVICES OF EVERY LIVING OFFICER IN HER MAJESTY'S NAVY, FROM THE RANK OF ADMIRAL OF THE FLEET TO THAT OF LIEUTENANT, INCLUSIVE. Compiled from Authentic and Family Documents. BY WILLIAM E. O'BYRNE, ESQ.
LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, PUBLISHER TO THE ADMIRALTY. 1849.

6 Skills Our Forefathers Had That Reenactors Don't

It occured to me that there are a ton of skills that the people that we reenactors portray had that we, as modern people, just generally don't have much anymore. This isn't ALL reenactors of course, but it definately allies to ME and several other folks I know...

6.) COOKING

My idea of cooking is preheating the oven and getting something out of the freezer. Want a new respect for historic cooking? Take a look at the above video. We met the narrator of thisvideo over the summer whilst he cooked an amazing regency era meal outdoors, over a fire. It was awesome!

5.) HORSEBACK RIDING

When was the last time you had to get on a horse and go anywhere? For me, try 'never'. Do you ride your horse to work or school on a regular basis? Ever had to ride your horse to get your errands run? Our forefathers rode horses all the time, for almost everything. And when they weren't riding, they were...

4.) WALKING... EVERYWHERE!

You read historical accounts all the time about people who just got a notion in their head and walked from one state to another. As modern people we walk, some, usually for exercise purposes. When was the last time you walked with a mission, so that you could GET somewhere? 

I often hear of Lewis & Clark's expedition in 1803 compared to Mankind's first trip to the Moon, except Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin didn't have to WALK a bunch of the way to the moon.

3.) HOUSE BUILDING

I have an idea, let's go fetch an axe, a saw and a few other simple tools from the garage and go out in the woods and build a house from trees! Then, we're gonna live in it, no big deal.

2.) LETTER WRITING

Who does this anymore? Our forefathers wrote all the time, for work, for fun, to communicate over long distances, to state ideals and even forge nations. Theirs was a golden age of letter writing. And have you SEEN their handwriting? It's gorgeous! When was the last time you had to actually WRITE something with a pen, in CURSIVE? Cursive writing is considered of such little value these days, they barely teach it in schools anymore. And as far as modern writing, sure there are text messages, but when was the last time you texted anything that's going to change the shape of the nation or its inhabitants?

1.) FIRE MAKING

I've been an historical reenactor since 2001. In that time I've seen every period correct method (and few less-than-period methods) for making fire that you can think of, and my fire making skills are embarrassing. My attempts usually end with me on my hands and knees desperately blowing into a funny little kindling ziggurat while the cabin I'm in fills with ominous black smoke.

Have some suggestions for additions to this list? You KNOW I've left something off of here... leave YOUR ideas for everyone's enjoyment in the Comments section below this post.

Be sure to check out our other reenactor lists HERE!
And share them with your reenactor friends!

The Acasta log is generally updated every weekday at 8am CST, visit back often, and encourage your History Nerd/Reenacting/Royal Navy friends to visit us.

Thanks for reading!

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Doctor's Jars

When we was in Halifax the Doctor purchased a large number of special jars for those fishes, livers, brains, lizards and such things that he keeps pickled in spirits. A sad waste of spirits it is too. He planned to collect many new things if we was sent to Bermuda. He left the Frenchman that is his mate and his man Vasserman to repack them in shavings and straw to protect them on the voyage.

I was on deck when they handed them aboard. As soon as I had one I knew it was too heavy by twice for what it should be.

“Whats in here?” I say to the Frenchman but he just says “jen say pa” like he does not speak good English, which he does, so I look at Vasserman- who is dumb- and he writes on a little paper pad he carries “doctors jars”.

“Too heavy Mate” I tell him, and they give each other a look, and the Frenchman tells me to just keep mum and I will see when they are stowed. So once we are below we get off by ourselves and they open a case. It’s the Doctor’s jars right enough, but each one is filled to the gills with pickled eggs. They told me that if I would keep their secret they would share them. I suppose they figured the Doctor would not have approved.

Where they got them I never knew, because so many would have cost a pretty penny. Pulled some manner of purser’s trick I reckon, probably the Frenchman because deceit is just part of their nature.

In any case they was good to their word and shared them equal and I was good to my word and never told another soul, and every jar was empty by the time the Doctor set foot on Bermuda.

Robert Watson aboard the HMS Acasta

in a letter to his wife, Dec., 1813

A Husband on Every Ship

Today's post written by Acasta member Charles Winchester

Now allow me, Dear Brother, to acquaint you with a common practice of which you may not be aware. You have no doubt heard it said that a sailor has a wife in every port.  However there are many women in Portsmouth, Plymouth and doubtless other port cites as well, who can truly, or as near as makes no difference, say they have a husband on every ship! These happy creatures find no shame whatever in the fact that they have several husbands, or so they call them.  

There is some good fortune in the fact that two or more of these “husbands” rarely find themselves in port at the same time as their rivals. They therefore enjoy in blissful ignorance the tender adulations of their “wives” not knowing they are being cuckold while at sea. This practice is so common that a number of these ladies earn what may be called a decent living at it and have accommodated themselves quite well. One may be inclined to think that this fact alone might arouse the suspicions of their husbands. Perhaps the poor fellows are content to partake of the kisses and tender embraces that are proffered for a short season without asking too many questions. Knowing seamen as I do, I cannot believe them so thick that they cannot discover the game. 

Lest you think these ladies have elevated their station beyond their birth, fear not. Their manners betray them. Having spent the greater part of their time amongst sailors of one description or another they have adopted, without the least degree of shame, their customs in every regard. In the most bold and audacious way they swear and swagger about the waterfront finding no shame in their trade. 

Letters from a Life at Sea, Scenes from Aboard and Ashore During the Late War

by Lieutenant Gideon Parkinson, Late of HMS Salisbury.

Pub. By Fischer and Collins, Fleet Street, London, 1824