Chapter 1
Ancestry of Matthew Fontaine Maury -- Virginian Planters -- Huguenots
in Virginia -- The Reverend James Maury -- His Classical School and
Scholars -- Thomas Jefferson and the Great North-West -- Richard Maury and
Diana (Minor) Maury -- Birth of Matthew Fontaine Maury -- Emigration to
Tennessee -- State of society in Tennessee -- Occupations and amusements
of Maury and his brothers -- Religious training -- Maury's School life
Chapter 2
Notice of the Career of Maury's eldest brother
-- Life in the Navy -- Left on the Marquesas Islands for two years -- He
is taken on board the ship Essex by Commodore Porter -- Capture of the
Essex at Valparaiso -- At the Battle of Lake Champlain -- Died at Sea --
Matthew Fontaine Maury receives a Midshipman--s Warrant -- Journey to take
up his appointment -- Adventures and entertainment by relations -- Meets
his future wife -- Her parentage -- Cruise on board the ship Brandywine --
Cruise on the ship Vincennes -- Visits the Marquesas -- Passes his
Examination -- Buys a little seal for his sweetheart.
Chapter 3
Appointed Master of the ship Falmouth on the
Pacific Station -- Melancholy anecdote -- Literary studies under great
difficulties -- First study of Winds and Currents -- Paper on the low
barometer off Cape Horn-- -- First Lieut. of the ship Dolphin -- Return
home in 1834 -- Marriage -- Publication of his work on navigation -- Birth
of his eldest daughter -- Appointment to survey Southern Harbors -- Visit
to his parents in Tennessee -- Fall from a stagecoach -- Fracture of his
leg -- Long illness -- Death of his parents -- Application for employment.
Chapter 4
Publication of "Scraps From The Lucky Bag" --
Appointment to the charge of the Depot of Charts and Instruments at
Washington -- Letters respecting the work at the Observatory.
Chapter 5
History of the "Wind and Current Charts" --
Letter from Captain Phinny of the Bark Gertrude -- Great races between
four clipper ships, sailing from New York to San Francisco by the --Wind
and Current Charts-- -- One Ship wins the race of 16,000 miles by three
hours -- The Senate of the United States proposes to remunerate Maury for
his --Wind and Current Charts--, but never carried out their proposal --
Annual savings to the commerce of the world effected by the charts --
Abstract Logs -- Sailing Directions -- --Physical Geography of the Sea--
-- Maury's rule of conduct in scientific investigations -- The Brussels
Conference -- Honors conferred upon Matthew Fontaine Maury by the
governments of foreign countries.
Chapter 6
Plans for meteorological co-operation on land
-- Invitation to Agricultural Societies to communicate observations for
the construction of meteorological Land Charts -- Proposal for a system of
warnings to Farmers -- Opposition he met with -- His prophecy about the
Weather Bureau -- Weather Forecasts -- Extracts from Mr. Harlan--s Report
before the Senate, praying for an extension of meteorological observations
for-- the benefit of farmers -- Letter to Mr. Dorr on the same subject --
--Honor to whom Honor is due-- -- List of letters on this subject to be
found at the Observatory -- Fulfillment of Matthew Fontaine Maury's
prophecy.
Chapter 7
Deep Sea Soundings -- Maury prophesies
existence of the --Telegraphic Plateau-- -- John Mercer Brooke--s
invention of a deep sea lead -- Extract of a letter from the Secretary of
the Navy -- Maury's letters to the Secretary, suggesting the place for the
cable, and the kind of line to be used -- Dinner at New York to celebrate
the first arrival of a message across the ocean -- Cyrus W. Field--s
speech -- The cable ceases to work -- Maury explains the cause -- Letters
on file at the Observatory on this subject.
Chapter 8
The Naval Retiring Board
Chapter 9
Publications in the periodical press while at
the Observatory -- Observations of the rise and fall of the Mississippi
--Drowned Lands-- -- Steam Navigation to China -- Ship canal schemes --
--Inca Papers-- -- Their defense in a letter to Mrs. Blackford.
Chapter 10
Exploration of the Amazon by Captain William
Lewis Herndon -- Loss of the ship Central America -- Maury's official
report of that shipwreck, and the death of her gallant commander --
Monument to W.L. Herndon at Annapolis -- Maury's Steam Lanes -- Present of
$5,000 and a service of plate from the merchants and underwriters of New
York -- Part of an address to the University of Virginia.
Chapter 11
Maury's personal appearance and manners --
Life in his family -- The way he wrote his books -- How he dressed in the
morning -- The nicknames he gave his children -- How he taught his
daughters round the breakfast table -- The borrowed book -- The brass
telescope -- The trip to Europe and visit to Wrottesley Hall.
Chapter 12
Maury's letter on the harmony between science
and revealed religion -- The work of Colonel Smith of the Virginia
Military Institute -- Letters to his daughters after marriage --
Correspondence during his lecturing tour, and extracts -- Letters to
Bishop Otey -- Maury's address on the study of physical geography.
Chapter 13
Breaking out of the Civil War -- Maury's
letter to Bishop Otey -- Maury's Appeals to the Governors of Pennsylvania,
New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware -- Letters to Mr. Hasbrouck of Newburgh
-- Lincoln--s Proclamation calling on Virginia to furnish troops to
subjugate South Carolina -- Reply of Virginia -- Maury resigns his
commission and leaves Washington -- Offers from the Grand Duke Constantine
and from France -- Maury's reply -- Defence of Maury's decision in letters
to a friend -- Maury appointed Chief of the Seacoast, Harbour, and River
Defenses in the South.
Chapter 14
Torpedo Warfare -- Maury Invents an electric
torpedo for Harbour and Land Defence -- Indifference on the part of the
authorities -- Commander Maury's experiment -- He mines the James River --
Maury's plans and drawings fall into the hands of the enemy -- Panic
caused by fear of torpedoes in the Federal Fleet -- Commander Matthew
Fontaine Maury on the necessity for a Confederate Navy -- The whole South
arming for defence -- Maury's two sons become volunteers -- Colonel
Richard Launcelot Maury shot through the body -- Lieutenant John Herndon
Maury slain at Vicksburg, Mississippi. -- Commodore Matthew Fontaine Maury
in England -- Orders from the Confederate Secretary of the Navy to proceed
to England -- Leaves Charleston with his youngest son, Matthew Fontaine
Maury Jr. -- Maury organizes a society in England to promote cessation of
hostilities -- Petition to the United States for peace -- Letter from
chronometer-maker offering Maury a home -- Letters about his son at school
in England, and on news from home -- Congratulations to the Archduke
Maximilian on going to Mexico.
Chapter 15
Mexico
M. F. Maury's residence and
occupation in England -- Departure for the West Indies -- Tidings of the
fall of the Confederacy -- M. F. Maury surrenders his sword -- His son
--Brave-- returns home -- Letter from Dr. Brodie Herndon on the condition
of Virginia after the war -- Maury resolves to go to Mexico --Reception by
the Emperor Maximilian -- Appointed Commissioner of Immigration --
Explains his motives and course of action in a letter to Dr. Tremlett --
The decree respecting immigration -- Maury's explanatory memorandum -- His
scheme disapproved by friends -- Letters from Commodore Jansen and General
Lee -- Maury's defence to his cousin Rutson Maury -- Arrival of his son
Richard at Mexico -- Maury goes on leave to England -- Mrs. Maury and her
family at Liverpool -- Letters from Mexico to his wife and children -- An
imperial dinner -- Keeping house -- Description of the journey from Mexico
to the coast -- Maury's reply to the Emperor--s intimation that the
Immigration department was abolished -- M. F. Maury's introduction of the
Chinchona cultivation into Mexico -- Causes which led to the fall of the
empire -- Desertion of the French -- Death of the Emperor --Maximillian--s
tomb at Vienna -- Melancholy fate of the Empress and her last letter to
Matthew Fontaine Maury.
Chapter 16
In England, 1866-68
Matthew Fontaine
Maury's arrival in England -- Meeting with his family -- The Maury
Testimonial -- Instructing French officers in defensive sea-mining at
Paris -- Matthew Fontaine Maury's Electrical Torpedo School -- Defence of
Wurtemberg by electrical mines -- M. F. Maury's memorandum on the use of
electrical torpedoes -- Writing class-books on geography -- Visits to
Nottingham and to Wrottesley Hall -- Arrival of his daughter, Mrs. Corbin
-- Maury's love for his grandchild -- He joins the Church and is confirmed
with his children -- Made LL.D. at Cambridge -- Accepts appointment as
Professor at the Virginia Military Institute -- Returns to America 1868 --
Occupations at Richmond.
Chapter 17
Virginia Military Institute
Description of Lexington,Va. -- Maury settled in his last home --
Virginia the best route to the North-West -- Plans for a Map showing a
caste of the atmosphere -- Reaches his sixty-sixth birthday -- Arrangement
to deliver addresses -- Meteorological survey of Virginia -- Resumes his
lectures on agricultural meteorology -- His address delivered at
Nashville, St. Louis, and Richmond -- In delivering his lectures of
weather forecasts for farmers M.F. Maury overtaxes his strength -- Maury
comes home to Lexington to die. -- His last illness -- The last scene --
His death -- Sketch of his character -- Particulars of his last days --
Quotation of a notice in Temple Bar -- His wishes respecting his obsequies
-- Poem by Mrs. Margaret Preston on his body passing the Goshen Pass on
its way to Richmond.
