Civil War Union Army Officer, San Francisco Mayor. A native of Maine, he joined the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1833. In 1844 he was commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to serve on the "USS Portsmouth". With the coming of the Mexican War, the "Portsmouth", under the command of Captain John Montgomery, was ordered to the San Francisco Bay, California, where, on July 9, 1846, Montgomery and a detachment of men captured the coastal town of Yerba Buena without firing a shot. A month later, Montgomery appointed Lieutenant Bartlett to serve as the first American Alcalde (Mayor) of the town and in September, he was officially elected to the post serving until February 1847. Shortly before leaving office, he ordered on January 23, 1847 that Yerba Buena be renamed San Francisco. He continued to serve in the Navy until 1855 when he was suddenly struck off the active service list by the Navy Retirement Board and was not reinstated despite his numerous appeals. With the start of the Civil War, he returned to military service when he raised the volunteer Naval Brigade in New York, which he was appointed Colonel in command, however the brigade was ultimately rejected for federal service. Assigned to Fortress Monroe in Virginia with his regiment in May 1861, Colonel Bartlett was seriously injured on June 2, 1861 after falling from the fortifications at Fort Wool while helping to mount a gun. Soon afterwards, parts of his Naval Brigade were merged to form the 99th New York Infantry. He spent the remainder of the war out of active service.
Civil War Union Army Officer, San Francisco Mayor. A native of Maine, he joined the United States Navy as a midshipman in 1833. In 1844 he was commissioned to the rank of Lieutenant and assigned to serve on the "USS Portsmouth". With the coming of the Mexican War, the "Portsmouth", under the command of Captain John Montgomery, was ordered to the San Francisco Bay, California, where, on July 9, 1846, Montgomery and a detachment of men captured the coastal town of Yerba Buena without firing a shot. A month later, Montgomery appointed Lieutenant Bartlett to serve as the first American Alcalde (Mayor) of the town and in September, he was officially elected to the post serving until February 1847. Shortly before leaving office, he ordered on January 23, 1847 that Yerba Buena be renamed San Francisco. He continued to serve in the Navy until 1855 when he was suddenly struck off the active service list by the Navy Retirement Board and was not reinstated despite his numerous appeals. With the start of the Civil War, he returned to military service when he raised the volunteer Naval Brigade in New York, which he was appointed Colonel in command, however the brigade was ultimately rejected for federal service. Assigned to Fortress Monroe in Virginia with his regiment in May 1861, Colonel Bartlett was seriously injured on June 2, 1861 after falling from the fortifications at Fort Wool while helping to mount a gun. Soon afterwards, parts of his Naval Brigade were merged to form the 99th New York Infantry. He spent the remainder of the war out of active service.
Bio by: G.Photographer
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