Robert Randolph Carter (September 15, 1825 – March 8, 1888) was an American naval officer that would later come to be known for a journal he kept while unsuccessfully searching for the Franklin expedition. This journal was later posthumously published by the

Naval Institute Press The United States Naval Institute (USNI) is a private non-profit military association that offers independent, nonpartisan forums for debate of national security issues. In addition to publishing magazines and books, the Naval Institute holds se ...

as ''Searching for the Franklin Expedition: The Arctic Journal of Robert Randolph Carter'' in May 1998 and won the 1998

John Lyman Book Award The John Lyman Book Awards are given annually by the North American Society for Oceanic History to recognise excellence in published books making a major contribution to the study and understanding of maritime and naval history. They are named aft ...

for Primary Source Materials, Reference Works, and Guide Books. He was a member of the Carter family of Virginia, which was descended from Robert "King" Carter. Carter married Louise Humphreys on January 6, 1852, and had two children with her.

Biography

Carter was born on September 15, 1825, at

Shirley Plantation Shirley Plantation is an estate located on the north bank of the James River in Charles City County, Virginia, USA. It is located on scenic byway State Route 5, between Richmond and Williamsburg. It is the oldest active plantation in Virgin ...

to Hill Carter and Mary Braxton Randolph Carter. Carter would later assume control of Shirley Plantation in 1866, after the death of his father. He attended school in

Alexandria, Virginia Alexandria is an independent city in the northern region of the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It lies on the western bank of the Potomac River approximately south of downtown Washington, D.C. In 2020, the population was 159,467. ...

, and in 1842 joined the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

, during which time he took part in the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the ...

. Carter went on to attend the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

, where he graduated in 1849 as a passed

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

. He took part in several scientific exploration and surveying expeditions and in May 1850 he also took part in an attempt to locate Sir John Franklin's missing expedition to locate the

Northwest Passage The Northwest Passage (NWP) is the sea route between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans through the Arctic Ocean, along the northern coast of North America via waterways through the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The eastern route along the ...

. During this time Carter kept a journal in which he kept a daily, detailed account of the rescue attempt. He went on to serve as the junior lieutenant and navigator on the ''Vincennes'' and in 1858, served on the steamer ''Argentina''. Carter resigned from the Navy on April 2, 1861, and months later joined the

Confederate States Navy The Confederate States Navy (CSN) was the Navy, naval branch of the Confederate States Armed Forces, established by an act of the Confederate States Congress on February 21, 1861. It was responsible for Confederate naval operations during the Amer ...

. During his time with the Confederate States Navy he was promoted to

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a ...

and was one of many Southern soldiers that received a presidential pardon for serving with the Confederate armed forces. Carter died on March 8, 1888, as a result of injuries sustained from a fall from a granary loft and was buried at Shirley Plantation. Shirley Plantation was inherited by his daughter Marion and her husband James Harrison Oliver.

Bibliography

* ''The Carter Tree'' (1951) * ''Searching for the Franklin Expedition: The Arctic Journal of Robert Randolph Carter'' (1998)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Carter, Robert Randolph 1825 births 1888 deaths Confederate States Navy officers People from Charles City County, Virginia Robert Randolph