1901 - 1905 ORIGINAL MANUSCRIPT DIARY HANDWRITTEN BY A CHARMED WISCONSIN MAN WHO GOES TO SEA AND LANDS A BERTH ON THE USS MASSACHUSETTS

On offer is a super, original 1901 - 1905 manuscript diary handwritten by a Mayville Wisconsin man who enlisted in the United States Navy. Charles Wieseke (b.7/12/1879 - d.4/11/1965) who as he states in his first entry states, "Oct. 30th, 1901 - Enlisted in the navy in Milw for 4 years." We learn Charley served initially, during, the Spanish American War, as a naval seaman aboard the U.S.S. Massachusetts B2 which was frequently the Flagship and Charley endured Admiral's Inspections and he observes the many ships and boats that call on the flag. [He would return to his home of Maryville and serve his community as an Alderman for many years too.] The diary a gift from his 'chumb Armand' has 50+ pages of narrative and several regarding financials etc. Life aboard the USS Massachusetts provided lots of enviable entries for those who love the sea and being a sailor with ports of call aplenty and much of the daily life and duties aboard a battlship: Brooklyn Navy Yard and the Cruiser Columbia; beating the Alabama in a trial run; Hampton Roads; Charleston South Carolina; Matanzas Cuba; monument of 400 Cubans slain by Spaniards; Havana; San Juan; Culebra Puerto Rico; Guantanamo Bay; Santiago Bay; Cienfuegos; Colon; Port of Spain Trinidad; Martinique; Guadeloupe; St. Thomas; Torpedo Boat Porter; Admiral Dewey; Admiral Sampson; St Pierre Mount Pelee volcano eruption; New York; Newport; New London; Rockport; Block Island; Castries St Lucia; Basseterre St Kitts; Galveston; Boston; Azores; Bar Harbor; Horta Fayal; Oyster Bay; Missouri - Illinois collision; Annapolis, Solomon Island; Philadelphia; Provincetown; and much, much more. Other miscellaneous content details what the author paid out ("Oyster Shells - $0.80"); safety valve rules; addresses; clothing list (with prices!); money owed; small stores; money received; etc. The book proper has leather covers which are detached but present but the text block is overall G.; Manuscript; 12mo - over 6¾" - 7¾" tall; KEYWORDS: HISTORY OF, USS MASSACHUSETTS, BATTLESHIP NO. 2, INDIANA-CLASS, CHARLES WIESEKE, MAYVILLE, WISCONSIN, SPANISH AMERICAN WAR, USN, UNITED STATES NAVY, NAVAL, MARINERS, MARINES, SAILORS, NAUTICAL, SEA FARING, SEAMEN, AMERICANA,HANDWRITTEN, MANUSCRIPT, AUTOGRAPHED, AUTHORS, DOCUMENT, LETTER, AUTOGRAPH, KEEPSAKE, WRITER, HAND WRITTEN, DOCUMENTS, SIGNED, LETTERS, MANUSCRIPTS, HISTORICAL, HOLOGRAPH, WRITERS, AUTOGRAPHS, PERSONAL, MEMOIR, MEMORIAL, PERSONAL HISTORY, ARCHIVE, DIARY, DIARIES, JOURNAL, LOG, PRIMARY SOURCE, FIRST HAND ACCOUNT, SOCIAL HISTORY, PERSONAL STORIES, LIVING HISTORY, ANTIQUITÉ, CONTRAT, VÉLIN, DOCUMENT, MANUSCRIT, PAPIER ANTIKE, BRIEF, PERGAMENT, DOKUMENT, MANUSKRIPT, PAPIER OGGETTO D'ANTIQUARIATO, ATTO, VELINA, DOCUMENTO, MANOSCRITTO, CARTA ANTIGÜEDAD, HECHO, VITELA, DOCUMENTO, MANUSCRITO, PAPEL,BIOGRAPHY BIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY PERSONAL NARRATIVES