Raymond Delancey Hasbrouck Papers (1887-1926)

Finding Aid completed by Dr. Neil A. Tevebaugh-Kenwryck

Dec. 2004

Volume: 3 cu. ft.

Acquisition: Most of the papers were donated to the Huguenot Historical Society by Bette Clemens on July 16, 2004. The materials were originally transferred to the Huguenot Historical Society in two installments in December 2003 and March 2004. Along with this donation came the papers of Raymond Delancey's son, Jan Hasbrouck (1911-1983), a journalist who wrote news and magazine articles on international economics and politics during World War II through the 1960s. These papers are found in the collection, the Jan Hasbrouck Papers (1911-1979), which are also stored in the Society's archives.

Access: Unrestricted.

Copyright: Request for permission to publish materials from these records should be discussed with the Archivist and Director of the Huguenot Historical Society.

Biographical Sketch

Raymond Delancey Hasbrouck, a U.S. Naval officer, was born on July 20, 1871 to Solomon Hasbrouck (1833-1906) and Ann Eliza Van Wagenen (1837-1907) of Boise, Idaho (although both parents were born at New Paltz). [1] At Boise, Raymond's father Solomon Hasbrouck practiced law, ran a mercantile business, served as a collector with the Federal Internal Revenue Service, and was appointed to the position of clerk in the Supreme Court in Boise, which he held until his death in 1906. [2] On January 22, 1902, Raymond married Olive Scott Halladay (b. 1875), daughter of Charles Halladay and Sarah Adams of Chestnut Hills, Massachusetts . Hasbrouck and his wife had two sons: Jan, born in January 1911, and a second son, David, who was born in 1912 and died just thirteen days later.

Raymond Hasbrouck spent his early years in Boise and surrounding towns. At the age of 14, he was taken out of school to work in his father's mercantile store in Middleton, Idaho. On September 25, 1888 he was appointed as cadet at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland by Representative F. T. DuBois of Idaho. Raymond graduated from the Academy in 1892. Following his graduation, he was assigned to the U.S. S. Charleston, which traveled from California to South America and later, New York. Later, as a member of the Allied Expedition Force of the United States Navy, Raymond was stationed near China during the Boxer Rebellion (1900-1901); served as a recruiting officer aboard the U.S.S. Wabash off the coast of Boston; and performed active duty during the Spanish-American War and World War I. His career also took him to Rome , Italy as the United States Naval Attaché to the American Embassy in Rome. In this capacity he witnessed the funeral of Pope Benedict XV in January 1922, and the Coronation of the King and Queen of Romania in October 1922. [3] Following his duty as a Naval Attaché, he returned to duty as Captain of the U.S. California. From 1924 to 1926 he sailed to New Zealand and then to San Diego, California. While in San Diego, Captain Hasbrouck became ill and died of an ulcer on March 19, 1926. His body was cremated and his ashes buried at sea off the deck of the U.S.S. California near Los Angeles.

Notes

[1] Kenneth E. Hasbrouck, Sr., The Hasbrouck Family in America With European Background , 3 rd Edition, Huguenot Historical Society, New Paltz, N.Y., 1986), p. 356. Unless otherwise noted, all genealogical information is taken from this source.

[2] The details of Raymond DeLancey Hasbrouck's father and early life are taken from Journal I – A History of the Hasbrouck family in America (1675-1924) as compiled by Captain Raymond DeLancey Hasbrouck, graduate of the U.S. Navy Academy, Class of 1892.

[3] The details of Raymond DeLancey Hasbrouck's naval career include the following:

His Naval commissions include: Assistant Engineer (July 1, 1894); Lieutenant (jg) (March 3, 1899); Lieutenant (November 21, 1900); Lieutenant Commander (July 1, 1906); Commander (July 1, 1912); Temporary rank of Captain (August 31, 1917); regular rank of Captain (July 1, 1918). During his naval career, he served on the following ships and stations: U.S. S. Charleston (June 29, 1892); U.S. S. Detroit (March 18, 1894); assigned to special course for Marine Engineering at l'Ecole des Mines and l'Ecole d'application du Genie, Maitinee, Paris, France (October 23, 1894 to November 7, 1896); Bureau of Steam Engineering (December 26, 1896 to April 22, 1897); U.S.S. Maine (April 26, 1897 to December 10, 1897); U.S.S. Puritan (December 12, 1897 to September 23, 1898); U.S.S. Scindia (September 27, 1898; U.S. S. Puritan (September 28, 1898 to October 8, 1898); U.S.S. Yankton (October 10, 1898 to May 13, 1899); U.S. S. Detroit (June 10, 1899 to May 23, 1890); Course Instruction, Torpedo (June 1, 1900 to July 2, 1900); U.S. S. Monocacy (August 12, 1900 to June 30, 1901); U.S.S. Solace (June 30, 1901 to September 5, 1901); R.S. Wabash (October 12, 1901 to May 26, 1903); Temporary Duty as a recruiting officer for the Navy in Louisville, Kentucky in 1902; U.S. S. Solace (June 2, 1903 to August 7, 1903); U.S.S. Helena (August 7, 1903 to March 27, 1905); U.S.S. Arayat (command) (March 27, 1905 to January 13, 1906); Naval Hospital, Yokohoma (trmt) (January 13, 1906 to March 24, 1906); U.S. S. Constellation (June 11, 1906 to November 6, 1907); U.S. S. Kearsarge (ordnance officer) (November 11, 1907 to March 12, 1909) (Had additional duty as Assistant to Inspector of Ordnance for U.S.S. Michigan, New York Shipbuilding Co., when U.S.S. Kearsarge in reserve); Bureau of Ordinance (May 16, 1910 to July 5, 1913); U.S.S. Idaho (executive officer) (May 16, 1910 to July 5, 1913); U.S. Florida (executive officer) (October 23, 1913 to July 20, 1914); U. S.S. Yorktown (command) (August 12, 1914 to July 6, 1915); Naval Yard, Boston, Massachusetts (as Aide to Commandant) (October 9, 1915 to July 26, 1915); U.S. S. Cincinnati (command) (July 28, 1917 to July 2, 1918) (Cincinnati renamed Covington); Base Seven (temporary) (July 2, 1918 to July 16, 1918); R.S. New York, N.Y. (July 25, 1918 to November 15, 1918); Commandant, Third Naval District (November 16, 1918 to April 24, 1919, for temporary duty); U.S. Minnesota (command)(April 26, 1919 to April 16, 1921); Naval Operations, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. (Office of Naval Intelligence)(April 21, 1921 to April 30, 1921); Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy (May 27, 1921 to June 23, 1924); Naval Operation, Navy Department, Washington, D.C. (temporary) (July 9, 1924 to July 10, 1924); U.S.S. California (command) July 15, 1924 to March 19, 1926. The information on his naval career is taken from his Journal IV – Record of Service of Captain Raymond DeLancey Hasbrouck, U.S.N., from Naval Attaché, Rome, Italy, (1921) to his visit to Auckland, New Zealand, (August, 1925).

Collection Description

The papers of Captain Raymond DeLancey Hasbrouck are important for their first-hand (and often personal as well as official) documentation of four major U.S. Naval engagements during the early twentieth century, including Boxer Rebellion in China (1900-1901), the Atlantic Fleet World Excursion (1907-1909), and to a lesser degree, World War I (1917-1918) and the latter portion of the Spanish-American War (1898-1903). The records, which include letters, journals, scrapbooks, and photograph albums, provide detailed personal recollections of life aboard ship while stationed at various places in the Pacific Ocean, most prominently, China, India, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka (then called Ceylon). For example, while stationed in China with the Allied Expedition Force during the Boxer Rebellion, Hasbrouck wrote a series of very detailed letters to his future wife in America. These letters describe life in China and aboard ship during this period. But perhaps the real core of the collection lies in his numerous journals, in which he recorded official ship's logs, personal observations, and inserted social invitations, news clippings, postcards, photographs, and other items that serve to greatly complement the written entries. Also documented in one of the journals is his service as Naval Attache to the U.S. Embassy in Rome from 1921 to 1924, which provide a first hand look at life in Europe after World War I.

Hasbrouck's research on his own family history is also well represented in three of the journals (nos. 1, 3, and 5), which provide documentation of his extensive compilation of family history data both in Europe and America. Hasbrouck was particularly interested in the European roots of his Huguenot ancestors and visited libraries, archives, and governmental offices in Belgium and Northern France for this purpose. His genealogical notebooks also contain pedigree charts and narrative descriptions of his American ancestors as well, providing particularly detailed information about his father and other immediate family members.

Other records of note include family photograph albums and loose photographs taken at home and during vacation trips to Egypt and Europe, a world map marked to show Hasbrouck's travels during his Naval career, a “Guest and Autograph Book” for the U.S.S. California (1924), a sample of hand woven folk art, probably from the Philippines, China, or Japan from ca. 1900-1925, and a medallion box containing Hasbrouck's U.S. Naval ribbons and medals.

The physical condition of the collection varies, but is generally poor. The cover boards and pages from the bound “Cruise Records” are particularly fragile, with evidence of serious fading and yellowing. The Journals are in much better condition, although yellowing is still apparent. The handwriting is legible throughout the entire collection.

Photographs of Raymond Delancey Hasbrouck and his family can also be found in the papers kept by his son, Jan Hasbrouck (1911-1983), also stored in the archives of the Huguenot Historical Society.

Series Descriptions

Series 1: Bound volumes (1903-1925)

The bound volumes are separated into two sub-series based on Hasbrouck's own arrangement: The first subseries consists of six journals representing his family history and genealogy, and his record of service with the U.S. Navy. The second subseries is comprised of what Hasbrouck calls “Cruise Records” which serve as both official ship logs and his personal scrapbooks of places visited during the U.S. Atlantic Fleet World Excursion from 1907 to 1909.

Series 2: Correspondence (1900-1925; bulk dates: 1900-1901) [1]

The bulk of this series consists of letters written by Raymond Delancy Hasbrouck to Olivia Scott Halladay from 1900 to 1901 while he was stationed near Tongku, China during the Boxer Rebellion. There are also three letters between Hasbrouck, and E. Williams of the Legation of the United States of America in Peking, China and H. W. Kent (?), Assistant Secretary, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City concerning Chinese porcelain and jade (1904-1906); and letters from Raymond to his son discussing Raymond's treatment while in the Naval Hospital in San Diego. The letters are arranged chronologically.

Series 3: Photographs and Photograph Albums (1885-1926)

This series contains photographs of family members and scenes during Hasbrouck's travels throughout Asia, Europe and Egypt. Specific images include portraits of Raymond Hasbrouck his wife Olivia Halladay, and family members and homesite in Idaho, photographs taken during a family trip to Egypt, postcards from China, Japan, and Bucresti, Romania, photographs taken of allied sailors aboard the U.S.S. California and the U.S.S. Minnesota from 1921-1925 (including photographs of the Coronation of the King and Queen of Romania).

Series 4: Objects

This series contains a letter written in Japanese, “United States of America Great Imperial Chamberlain Yamen”(ca. 1900-1925); a sample of hand woven folk art from Philippines, China or Japan (undated, ca. 1900-1925); and a medallion box of U.S. Naval ribbons and medals of Raymond D. Hasbrouck (1898-1917) with two medals from the Campaign in the West Indies 1898; medal from the Campaign in the Philippines 1898-1903; medal from World War I (“The Great War for Civilization”); medal from the Mexico Campaign 1911-1917; medal from the China Relief Expedition 1901; and a blue ribbon service medal for Naval Service (date unknown).

Box and Folder List

Box 1

Series 1: Bound Volumes (1903-1925)

Subseries 1: Journals (1903-1925):

  Vol. 1, Personal and Hasbrouck family history (1925)

  Vol. 2, Service Record (1903-1922)

  Vol. 3, Hasbrouck Family genealogy (ca. 1925)

  Vol. 4, Naval Attache to Italy and Visit to New Zealand (1921-1925)

  Vol. 5, Hasbrouck Family genealogy (1924)

  Vol. 6, Naval Attache to Italy and Visit to New Zealand (1921-1925)

Box 2

Series 1: Bound Volumes (1903-1925)

Subseries 2: Cruise Records, U.S. Atlantic Fleet World Cruise (1907-1909)

Four bound volumes.

Box 3

Series 2: Correspondence (1900-1925)

Six folders

Box 4

Series 3: Photographs and Photograph Albums (1887-1926)

Photographs, People (ca. 1890 – ca. 1910)

Photographs and Postcards, travel (1887 – ca. 1920)

Photograph Albums, travel in Asia (1901-1906) – three albums

Photograph Album, U.S. Naval Attache to Italy , and family vacations (1921-1926)

Due to size constraints, a photographic portrait of Raymond Delancey Hasbrouck (ca. 1910) is stored in Box 6 .

Box 5

Series 4: Objects (1898-1925)

Letter in Japanese, “Great Imperial Chamberlain Yamen.” (ca. 1900-1925)

Sample of hand woven folk art from Philippines , China or Japan (undated, ca. 1900-1925)

Medallion box with U.S. Naval ribbons and medals of Raymond D. Hasbrouck (1898-1917).

Box 6 : Miscellaneous and Oversized Items (1888-1925)

Mixed Series

Guest and Autograph Book, U.S.S. California (1924)

Journal (unbound) for unidentified sailing trip (undated)

Military Appointment, Raymond D. Hasbrouck (1888)

Photographic portrait, Raymond Delancey Hasbrouck (ca. 1910)

World Map, marked to show Raymond Hasbrouck's career travels (ca. 1925)

Notes

[1] Envelopes to the letters are available upon request.

Date Published: June 7, 2005