Sloops were single-masted ships with fore-and-aft rigging, and they were commonly used to convey passengers or goods. The sloop, Fox, was used at least between 1841 and 1845 to trade goods and produce in the coastal areas of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. L. P. Bureau was the sloop’s captain during this period. On December 16, 1842, the Fox was sold to the United States government for use at Fort Wood, Louisiana, apparently for surveying purposes in the bayous of Louisiana.

The log primarily records the activities of the captain and crew of the sloop, Fox. The log includes a translation of over two hundred fifty Choctaw words and a number of personal entries.

The loose pages of the log were originally bound in what was most likely one volume. The arrangement of the log for the period from 1841 to 1845 is chronological, with daily or weekly entries. The rest of the log is undated and has no apparent order. The log identifies L. P. Bureau as captain of the Fox. He may have recorded all of the entries, but they are written in third person and never directly reveal the identity of the author.

The chronological part of the journal recounts the activities of the sloop and its crew on the gulf coast of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, especially around New Orleans, Louisiana, and Pass Christian, Mississippi. Each page is headed by its appropriate year and entries are usually daily, although larger periods of time are omitted, especially when the crew went on furlough. Judging from the frequency with which they visited Pass Christian, it is likely that part of the crew lived there. This section of the log primarily notes the weather and sailing conditions, times of the sloop’s arrivals and departures from various areas, the frequent hunting or fishing forays the crew made, the planting and harvesting of vegetables, and the buying and selling of goods and property. A few personal events such as births and deaths are noted. There are occasional references to people, other vessels, and events on the gulf coast of Louisiana and Mississippi.

On December 16, 1842, the log notes that the Fox was sold for six hundred dollars to the United States government for use at Fort Wood, Louisiana. However, after the sale of the Fox, the log continues to record the same sort of activities that were listed before the sale. The crew of the Fox may have conducted some surveying for Fort Wood, as they assigned names to several bayous after the sale of the sloop.

One of the more unusual entries in the log is the section on Choctaw vocabulary. After the entry of July 8, 1843, six pages list a glossary of about two hundred fifty Choctaw words and phrases and their English translations. Many of the words relate to trading activities, suggesting that the crew of the Fox may have traded with these Native Americans.

The end of the chronological section of the log briefly recounts the phases of the moon for 1844 and 1845. Another year is included, but the date at the top of the page is obscured. The rest of the log consists of more personal entries, and includes undated prayers and scripture; home remedies for a variety of illnesses; recipes for a number of foods; instructions for planting vegetables, flowers, and trees; and various poems and songs. Occasional entries are in French or Latin. Except for a number of rules of conduct on a ship, there is little in this section relating directly to the Fox.

1. Ship’s Log. 1841-1845; n.d. 1 item.

   Box 1: Reference photocopy of log.

   Box 2: Original log (restricted).