The Story of the 

Coast Survey Steamer 

ROBERT J. WALKER

With the loss of 20 lives, the sinking of the Robert J. Walker on June 21, 1860, is 

the largest single disaster in the history of NOAA or its predecessor agencies. 

Office of Coast Survey, CoastSurveyCommunications@noaa.gov
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The Story of the Coast Survey Steamer Robert J. Walker

This account uses research and reports from Captain Albert Theberge, NOAA Corps (ret.), of the NOAA 

Central Library, and Joyce Steinmetz, RPA, Ph.D. Researcher, Coastal Resources Management, East 

Carolina University. For more details, see Theberge’s account, Collision at Sea, on the NOAA Library 

website. Please direct corrections or additional information to dawn.forsythe@noaa.gov. 

With the loss of 20 lives, the sinking of the Robert J. Walker on June 21, 1860, is the largest single 

disaster in the history of NOAA or its predecessor agencies.

The vessel and her officers

The 132-foot Robert J. Walker was one of the first sidewheel steamers purpose built as a sidewheeler for 

the Revenue Service, a forerunner of the United States Coast Guard. Even though it was constructed as a 

revenue steamer, it was turned over to Coast Survey instead.

Benjamin Isherwood, Chief Engineer of the U.S. Navy, reported on the Walker in 18521: 

“The Walker was one of the batch of eight iron revenue steamer, commenced in 1843, for the 

Treasury Department. She was built at Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, for J. Tomlinson, and was one of 

the two originally fitted with paddle wheels. The experiment tried by the Treasury, of 

substituting steam for sailing cutters, having signally failed from the too large size of the steams, 

the expense of maintaining them, and the abortive character of their machinery and propelling 

instruments, they were either turned over to the Coast Survey, or otherwise disposed of. Of the 

eight, only three now remain in the Government service, viz: the Legarè, the Bibb, and the 

Walker, and they are employed as Surveying Steamers.”

This 1852 oil painting of the Walker, by W.A.K. Martin, is at the Mariner’s Museum

 

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“Notes on the U.S. Surveying Steam Walker,” by B.F. Isherwood, for the Journal of the Franklin Institute, Vol. 

XXIV, Third Series, No. 1, July 1852.
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Navy Lieutenant Commanding Carlile P. Patterson was the Walker’s first Coast Survey commanding 

officer, when it was surveying in the Mobile Bay area, and wrote an analysis of the use of the steam 

vessel vs. sailing vessel in the Coast Survey 1848 Annual Report. The next commanding officer was 

Lieutenant James Alden, for a little less than a year, followed by Samuel Philipps Lee (a relative of Robert 

E. Lee). The next commanding officer was Benjamin Franklin Sands. (Sands’ autobiography, From Reefer 

to Rear Admiral, describes some of his experiences on the Walker.) It appears that Coast Survey 

primarily used the Walker in the Gulf Coast. 

As the Civil War approached, Navy officers were withdrawn from the Survey, leading to the situation on 

the Walker when it was involved in the collision: Initial reviews of scarce (or non-existent) personnel 

reports indicate it had a Navy commanding officer with civilian mates. The crew may have been Navy; 

we are looking for more information. 

The Civil War-related withdrawal of naval officers from the Coast Survey dictated the hiring of civilian 

merchant marine officers to stand watches while the crew signed on under naval articles. The captain of 

the Walker at the time of the accident, Lieutenant John J. Guthrie, was the only naval officer on board. 

He had served in the Navy continuously since 1834. The executive officer, Joseph A. Seawell, had been 

dismissed from the Navy on the recommendation of the Efficiency Board in 1855. Seawell was the 

officer on watch at the time of the collision.

The accident

On June 21, 1860, the Coast Survey Steamer Walker, with a crew of 72 (and with the wife of executive 

officer Joseph Seawell on board), was lost at sea as the result of a collision. Twenty men died in this 

accident, making it the worst single disaster to strike the Coast Survey. Coast Survey Superintendent 

Alexander Bache referred to this tragedy in only three widely separated paragraphs in his 1860 Annual 

Report; perhaps he found it too painful to deal with, or maybe the events overtaking the country 

overwhelmed all else in 1860 and 1861. 

With the approaching Civil War, there was never an inquiry concerning the causes of this accident and 

the assignment of responsibility for its consequences. Surprisingly, Superintendent Bache never printed 

a listing of names of the deceased crewmen. (We have the names from contemporary reports in the 

newspapers at the time.)The Annual Report included these observations, appearing at different places in 

the report:

"The progress of the work has been, taking all its branches together, greater than during the 

year before, but the loss of one of our best steamers by collision at sea has been a sad drawback 

to the general prosperity of the work. As my estimates for the time of completion of the survey 

must be materially affected by this loss, I earnestly recommend a special appropriation to 

replace the steamer at the earliest practicable period." 

"The loss of the steamer Walker, by collision at sea, requires an appropriation to replace her. As 

the government acts as its own insurer, this is an indispensable item of estimate. The loss of a 

considerable part of the records of last season's work, and the loss of time from having no 

steamer to take the Walker's place in the Gulf of Mexico, will be sensibly felt in our progress, 

and I would respectfully urge that another steamer be supplied at the earliest practicable 

period, so as to enable us to work up again as soon as possible to the former efficiency." 
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"I have elsewhere referred to the wreck of the steamer Walker, on the 21st of June of the 

present year. This disaster, which involved loss of life to twenty of her crew, with the total loss 

of the vessel and all the records on board, was occasioned by collision with a schooner laden 

with coal, and occurred about three o'clock in the morning, while the Walker was off Absecom 

[today spelled Absecon], New Jersey, in command of Lieutenant J. J. Guthrie, U. S. N., and on her 

passage from Norfolk to New York. The officers of the Walker and survivors of her crew were 

rescued from imminent peril by Captain L. J. Hudson, [referred to as Captain S. S. Hudson in 

most accounts] of the schooner R. G. Porter, and safely conveyed to May's Landing, on the coast 

of New Jersey. The steamer sunk in less than half an hour after the collision, which took place 

about twelve miles from land."(57) 

What else do we know? Other contemporary reports indicated that after Superintendent Bache 

received a telegram on June 21, notifying him that the Walker had sunk and twenty of the crew were 

missing, he immediately wrote to Lieutenant John J. Guthrie, the captain of the Walker, asking him to 

report the circumstances of the disaster. Guthrie wrote Superintendent Bache on June 23: 

"It becomes my painful duty to report to you the loss of the U.S. Coast Survey Steamer "Walker" 

which was sunk at sea in five fathoms of water about six miles SE of "Absecum [sic] Light" on the 

coast of New Jersey, in consequence of being run into by a schooner - supposed to be the 

"Fanny" on the morning of the 21st of this month about 2:20 A.M.

"Two of the boats were stove in and rendered useless by the collision, the two remaining ones 

were lowered, and many of the crew saved by this means, and the timely assistance of the "R. G. 

Porter," of Mays Landing, N. J., Capt. S. S. Hudson, who came to our assistance in this hour of 

need... I cannot withhold ... profound regret for the melancholy fate of that portion of the crew 

who are still missing and who it is to be feared have found a watery grave.

"During this sad catastrophe the sea was running high and the wind very fresh... I need not add 

that the loss of my own professional reputation, necessarily incident to such an accident 

occasioned very slight regrets compared to the depths of sorrow I endure for the missing - and 

heartfelt sympathy entertained for the anxious and bereaved families and friends - I am sure 

you understand the workings of the heart sufficiently to render it unnecessary for me to essay 

to unfold mine in written terms..." 

Lieutenant Guthrie finished his letter with a request for Superintendent Bache to notify the Secretary of 

the Navy and "obtain for me a court of inquiry and investigation." Bache replied to this letter on June 25: 

"I have telegraphed to request a detailed report of the circumstances of the disaster to the "Walker" as 

the one now made gives no idea of the facts of the case..." 

Guthrie responded with additional detail: 

"... On the night of the 21st about 2:20 A.M., I was awakened by an unusual noise on deck, and 

my first thought was that the 1st officer was getting a cast of the lead, but soon after heard the 

Executive Officer tell some one to call the Captain - an officer came down and reported to me 

that the vessel was sinking - I went on deck and directed her to be headed inshore, and to give 

her all the steam speed possible, seeing Absecum Light distinctly - being about West - Nor. West 

- distant about nine miles ....
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"A schooner was near us, which I hailed and requested to keep by as we were sinking - soon 

after this the engineer reported the fires extinguished - and the water gaining very rapidly on us 

- I had previously sent men down in the coal bunkers to see if the leak could be stopped in any 

possible way - twas found to be impracticable - finding she must inevitably go down soon - I 

directed the mainmast to be cut away - the boats to be lowered and some of the ladders to be 

towed astern for buoys - and also directed the quartermaster to get a cast of the lead - he 

reported five fathoms water - Soon after she sunk. It was found two of the boats had been 

crushed .... the two remaining ones picked up what portion of the crew they thought they could 

carry in safety; Nothing was saved, except what was on and about the persons of those who 

were rescued - all the Note Books, Instruments, charts of the vessel etc. went down with her 

and as all the records are gone - I have to depend upon memory for the facts - all of which it is 

impossible to remember distinctly...." 

What Coast Survey did (and didn’t do) following the accident

Lieutenant Guthrie thought that the steamer might be raised or that the engines and machinery could 

be recovered. NOAA historian Albert Theberge, in his analysis of the event, observes that Guthrie was 

mistaken. “The steamer had sunk in approximately 13 fathoms instead of the 5 fathoms that Guthrie 

initially thought, and was about 12 miles offshore instead of the 5 to 6 miles reported,” Theberge points 

out. “If there is any criticism of Guthrie, it is that he had no idea where his ship was when it was struck 

and also that he was not awake and on deck as his vessel had just passed the busy entrance to Delaware 

Bay and would be approaching progressively more congested waters as it approached New York City.”

However, Theberge says, Lieutenant Guthrie's second letter seemed to appease Superintendent Bache. 

Bache wrote back on July 6, "If your desk could be procured containing the papers of the survey, it 

would be worth $2500 and if the engines or parts of it can be had it would help us materially."

Bache also advised Guthrie "to consult the District Attorney, for which I will pay, as to the propriety of 

libeling the Sch. Fanny, making in conjunction with Mr. Seawell statement of facts to him upon which he 

will ground his opinion." After Superintendent Bache's allusion to "libeling" the Fanny, Theberge 

explains, there seemed to be little additional effort to conduct an investigation into the causes of the 

accident or the placing of blame. 

The account in the New York Herald

June 23, 1860 (page 7)

Loss of the United States Steamer Walker

---------------------------------

Twenty of Her Crew Drowned and Missing – Narrative of One of the Survivors.

The United States Surveying steamer Walker, on her way to New York from her Southern 

station, which includes the coast of Alabama, Mississippi, and port of Louisiana, was run into on 

Thursday morning, between two and three o’clock, by schooner, and sunk. The accident took 

place off Absecom, and in view of the light – perhaps eight or nine miles distant.
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The following are the

NAMES OF THE SAVED

John J. Guthrie, Lieut Com. William F. Jones.

J. A. Sewell (and lady), 2nd officer. Robert Bell.

B. W. Guthrie, 4th officer. Jos. Clark.

Jas. Hellum, Surgeon. John Bryan.

Charles Marriott, Ass’t Surg. George Henn.

R. B. Swift, Engineer. John Cazmer.

Henry Dick. Jos. Morg.

John C. Thompson. John Smith.

John Burton. Jos. A. Golding.

John Walsh. William Logan.

John McCaffrey. John Rowe.

Charles Clifford. Jos. Peter.

John R. Hall. James De Courcey.

John Brown. William Boyes.

John Taylor. Bernard Carrah.

William H. Mapes. Thomas Riley.

James Harrison. John A. Minor.

John McMillan. Alonzo Hood.

Edward Lynch. James Clark.

Daniel Evans. Peter Decker.

James Wilson. Michael Boyle.

Jefferson Cravens. Patrick Doherty.

Andrew Young. Michael Lyons.

Henry Hotten.

NAMES OF THE MISSING

Henry Reed. Robert Wilson.

Timothy Connor. Cornelius Crow.

Jeremiah Coffey. Chas. Miller.

John M. Brown. Geo. W. Johnston.

Michael M. Lee. SamL Sizer.

Marquis Bonevents. Daniel Smith.

Jas. Patterson. John Farren.

Michael Allman. Joseph Bate.

John Driscoll. James Farren.

George Price.

All day yesterday the most intense excitement prevailed at the Navy Yard and in the Fifth 

Ward, Brooklyn, where a majority of the crew reside, and until the arrival of a portion of the 

survivors, bringing definite information, the suspense among the families and relatives of the men 

was distressing.
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One of our reporters, during the afternoon, had an interview with one of the most 

intelligent among the crew, and from him gathered the following particulars: -

NARRATIVE OF CHARLES CLIFFORD, QUARTERMASTER.

At the time of the collision Lieutenant J. A. Sewall, the executive officer, was on watch. It 

was about quarter-past two in the morning. We saw the schooner ahead, coming before the wind, 

and put the helm hard aport to clear her. The schooner was close aboard of us. The lights of both 

vessels were burning clear. The atmosphere was cloudy, and the wind blowing fresh from the 

northeast.

The schooner thereupon put her helm hard astarboard, which made a collision inevitable. 

She struck the steamer forward of the port guard and wheelhouse, cutting her down to the water’s 

edge, and carried away her own head booms. The schooner hung for a moment, then swung 

alongside, and carried away the forward and quarter boats of the steamer. Getting clear of the 

schooner, we worked ahead, but found the Walker was sinking; cut away her mainmast, booms, 

and got everything movable on deck, to make a raft for the men. Everybody cool, and the officers 

behaving with great presence of mind, lowered both starboard boats and dropped them astern for 

use when the vessel went down.

By this time every soul was on deck except those who may have been killed or injured by 

the collision, and a sick man on board, nearly seventy years of age, almost helpless, had been 

carefully lifted out and put in one of the boats. All was orderly. The men stayed by the steamer 

until she was sinking, and then, without confusion, such of them as could took to the boats. Many 

of the crew went down with the steamer, however, clinging to the spars and portions of the wreck, 

and expected to be saved in that way. The captain stayed on board until the steamer went down, 

and just before she disappeared from sight jumped into the water, and was picked up by one of the 

boats.

Lieutenant Sewall was drawn down in the vortex, and, after remaining for a considerable 

time floating on a portion of the wreck, was also rescued by one of the boats. A heavy sea was 

running, and many of the men were doubtless washed off the spars and drowned from the mere 

exhaustion of holding on, while others were killed or stunned on rising to the surface by 

concussion with spars and other parts of the wreck.

The steamer had entirely sunk from sight in thirty minutes after the collision. Many of the 

crew were rescued by the boats, in which were about forty-four persons, and they were in turn 

picked up by the schooner R.G. Porter, Captain S.S. Hudson. He did nobly, keeping his vessel 

about the spot where the wreck went down until two o’clock in the day, and using every endeavor 

to render us comfortable and afford the desired assistance. Finding that it was useless to remain 

longer in searching for the missing, Captain Hudson stood into Cape May, where he arrived about 

four o’clock on Thursday afternoon.

The above account is corroborated in all particulars by that of Lieutenant Commanding J.J. 

Guthrie, Unites States Navy, with whom another of our reporters likewise had an interview at a 

later hour in the evening. He states, in addition to the above, that on arriving at Cape May a 
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schooner was there with a rent in her foresail, her head spars carried away and her cutwater 

injured.

The name of this vessel was the Fanny, and the time of her arrival was such as to make it 

almost certain that she was the author of the accident. While in Cape May the officers and crew 

were provided with much needed refreshments and clothing by the citizens. Prominent among 

those who rendered assistance were Mr. West, the proprietor of Congress Hall, J. C. Little, of Our 

House; Captain Johnson, of the steamer Kennebec, and Captain Cannon, of the Delaware, and 

Messrs T. M. Quicksall and J. W. Burton, of Philadelphia. Lieutenant Guthrie speaks in the 

highest terms of the conduct of the crew under the trying circumstances, and states that when the 

steamer went down every man was at his post, there being in the boats only three individuals and a 

dog.

A heavy gale was blowing at the time and a rough sea running, which caused the steamer to 

careen and settle much more rapidly than she otherwise would have done, as well as prevented 

those engaged in the work of rescue from saving all those who were enabled for a time to keep 

themselves above water. It is hoped that as a number of schooners were in the vicinity others may 

have been picked up, and, indeed from the maneuvers of one of them, the captain states that it is 

almost certain that such is the case. The survivors who came on to this city have reported 

themselves to the Commandant of the Navy Yard, and been paid off. All are in a destitute 

condition, however, officers and crew having lost everything except the clothes on their backs. In 

view of these circumstances, and the bravery and discipline manifested on the trying occasion, it 

behooves government to take some steps to recompense them for their loss.

The men

The New York Times, on June 23, 1860, also wrote about the accident. This is that paper’s list of the men 

who died.

The following list of the missing crew has been supplied by Mr. CHARLES GIFFORD, 

Quartermaster on board of the Walker, to whom we are also indebted for the particulars of the 

collision:

Marcus (or Marquis) Buoneventa, ward-room steward.

Michael M. Lee, ship's cook, (colored.) 

James Patterson, ward-room cook, (colored.)

Henry Reed, second mate.

Timothy O'Connor, sacond [sic] gunner. 

John Driscol, seaman.

Michael Olman, seaman.

George W. Johnson, son of Mr. Johnson, the actor. 

Charles Miller, ordinary seaman.

Robert Wilson, seaman.

John M. Brown, captain of after guard. 

Jeremiah Coffee, cooper.

Cornelius Crow, landsman. 

John Farren, fireman. 

James Farren, fireman. 
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Samuel Sizer, fireman, 

George Price, fireman. 

Joseph Bache, fireman. [Note: reported in the Herald as “Bate.”]

Daniel Smith, fireman. 

Peter Conway, fireman.

Total 20.