Dating the Maffitt image

Military Images, May/Jun 2003

In 1862 John Newland Maffitt, a professional sailor late of the U.S. Navy, was given command of the Confederacy's first commerce raider. Maffitt met his ship, Florida, in Nassau on May 4, 1862, then commanded her until October 1863.

At some point during his command he was photographed. The photographer was a Northern firm, C.D. Fredericks & Co., based in New York. However, they had branch operations in Havana, Cuba, and Paris, and it is at one of these that Maffitt sat for his photograph. One key to the photograph's date is the cap badge, that of a lieutenant. On August 7, 1863, Secretary of the Navy Thomas Mallory sent Maffitt a dispatch stating, "Herewith you will receive your appointment as commander in the Navy. A copy of it was sent to you in May last to Nassau." The commander's cap badge bore two stars, while the cap badge in Maffitt's photograph bears the single star of a lieutenant.

Maffitt was twice in Havana when in command of the Florida. The first time Maffitt and the Florida were in Havana was an unhappy visit.

The second time, however, would be a better time, one that would be more likely to show up on the well and pleased expression on Maffitt's face in the photograph. On January 20, 1863, the ship anchored in Havana. The log entry for January 21, reads, "Many persons visited the ship. We were enthusiastically welcomed at Havana." On January 22 the Florida left Havana. Certainly Maffitt would have had a chance to have his photograph taken between the 21st and the 22nd, while leaving his executive officer to oversee coaling operations.

In August 1863 the Florida, badly needing repairs, put into Brest, France. Maffitt left the ship there in October to return to the Confederacy. He was then a commander, with a new cap badge, but could have visited Paris with his old hat to be photographed then. However, Maffitt is more likely to have taken advantage of being in Europe to obtain a new uniform.