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Offered here is an original 1872 United States Merchant Marine “Account of Wages” document issued at the Port of New Orleans.
This is a federally printed maritime wage settlement form featuring the American eagle header, completed and signed in ink on November 20, 1872.
Vessel Identification (Registry Confirmed)
Ship: J. A. Thompson
Official Number: 75147
Rig: Full-rigged Ship
Tonnage: 1,344.36 tons
Home Port: Bath, Maine
The ship is fully documented in the 1872 U.S. Merchant Vessel Register under Official No. 75147. Bath, Maine was one of America’s leading 19th-century shipbuilding centers, known for large ocean-going vessels engaged in global trade.
Voyage Details
The voyage is clearly written as:
“N. Orleans to Russia & N. Orleans”
This was a transatlantic deep-water voyage from New Orleans to Russia and back in 1872.
Given the period and vessel size, the likely destination was St. Petersburg (via Kronstadt), Russia’s principal Baltic commercial port. American ships regularly carried Southern cotton to Baltic markets during this era.
This was not a coastal schooner run — this was a major international Atlantic trading voyage.
Seaman Information
Seaman: A. L. Percy
Engaged: March 11, 1872
Discharged: November 20, 1872
Service: 8 months, 18 days
Rate: $60 per month
Gross Wages: $518.00
Total Deductions: $257.98
Balance Paid: $260.02
The document is signed by the acting master:
W. Thomson
The 1872 registry lists J. A. Thompson as the registered master earlier in the year, indicating a common mid-season command change.
Historical Context
By the 1870s:
New Orleans was a major cotton export hub.
Russia was industrializing and importing American cotton.
Large Bath-built ships like this operated in Atlantic and Baltic trade.
Seasonal Baltic navigation aligns perfectly with the March–November voyage window shown here.
This document captures a specific working sailor’s wages from a documented transatlantic Russia voyage during the Reconstruction era.
Condition
Displays very well.
Why This Is Collectible
Confirmed federal vessel registry match
Large 1,344-ton full-rigged ocean ship
Documented New Orleans to Russia voyage
Bath, Maine shipbuilding provenance
Reconstruction-era Atlantic trade
Named sailor and master
This is a strong piece for:
Maritime collectors
Bath, Maine shipbuilding collectors
New Orleans trade historians
Russia-U.S. 19th century trade enthusiasts
Merchant marine ephemera collectors
