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9

In 1841, Jack Wilkes approached his mother about joining the Navy. Although she opposed the idea, Jane Renwick Wilkes sought the help needed to obtain his commission and painstakingly made the uniform for her fourteen-year-old son.  His father Charles was still away at sea, and was heartbroken to receive word that Jack was now a Midshipman. Jack served aboard a number of ships that traveled to the South Atlantic, the Mediterranean and Brazil. During the Mexican War, Jack was stationed aboard the USS Mississippi.

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Charles Augustus Smedberg (1781-1845) was born in Sweden. His family were prominent bankers and merchants. He came to New York in 1812 as a representative of the Bank of England. While in New York City, he met and married Isabella Renwick (miniature by John Wesley Jarvis) and like many enterprising young men became an importer or merchant of goods from overseas.

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Jane Jeffrey Renwick  and Lieutenant Charles Wilkes married on April 26, 1826. The couple eventually settled in Washington, DC, where they raised their four children:

1.     John “Jack” Wilkes (March 31, 1827-July 6, 1908) m. Jane Renwick Smedberg of New York City

2.     Jane “Janey” Wilkes (January 3, 1829-August 17, 1921)

3.     Edmund “Em” Wilkes (February 4, 1833-November 24, 1913) m. Bessie Van Buren of Ohio  

5.     Eliza Wilkes (July 18, 1838-August 16, 1908). * 

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Israel Wilkes (1722-1805) was the son of an English distiller, Israel Wilkes, and his wife Sarah Heaton Wilkes. His brother was the famous British radical, John Wilkes.

Jack at Saint Catherine's Mills Near Charlotte

 The Saint Catherine Mine was located just south of the Third Ward of Charlotte. It lay beyond the city limits when John Wilkes arrived in 1854. It corresponds to a location between the football stadium and I-277 today. Jack wrote the following words to accompany his sketch: There is a ground plan for you to study over & though not in a proper relative scale, the positions of the house is about correct the line going from e to b shows the bounds of the lawn towards the pond.

1853 July 8

This page is an example of a crossed letter. To save money on postage, nineteenth-century correspondents would sometimes write over a page they had previously covered with text. The second time the handwriting would go up and down instead of left to right. With a little practice one can read it.

The first seven lines of Jack's letter to Jeanie are shown in the image at the head of this page. A transcription follows:  

Washington July 8th 1853 

My dear Jeanie,           

1853 July 10

Devasego July 10th My dear Jack, Your letter of the 6th which I received yesterday has made me sad & thoughtful all day, & I feel too much the need of a talk with you to postpone the writing till tomorrow. Do not let my saying that it made me sad, induce you to tear up your “blue letters,” or refrain from writing for while the thoughts suggested may be sad it is very pleasant to feel that it all moods & at all times you take pleasure in writing to me & confiding each feeling as it arise to me.

The USS Mississippi

 Between March 9 and 29, 1846, Jack Wilkes served aboard the USS Mississippi, a paddle frigate, that was part of the  West Indian Squadron. Commodore Matthew Perry was the lead officer. The frigate provided support for General Zachary Taylor’s attack on Vera Cruz.Parts of this Exhibit:The Intertwined Ancestries of John and Jane Wilkes      Jack and Jeanie's Early Years  Courtship, Wedding, and Relocation to Charlotte  BackHome Next