Civil War Union Naval Officer. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was appointed a midshipman on April 1, 1828, and was promoted to passed midshipman in 1834, to Lieutenant in 1840, and to Commander in 1855. He demonstrated a special aptitude for naval surveying and hydrography, and among his inventions was a device for deep sea sounding. From 1850 to 1861 he served as head of the Navy's Bureau of Construction. Following the secession of Virginia, he participated in the expedition sent by Navy Secretary Gideon Welles to reinforce the Norfolk Navy Yard. When the decision was made to evacuate the yard, he supervised the hasty attempt to destroy vessels and buildings. His next assignment was far from the war, as he performed coast survey duty along the Pacific Coast of the United States. Promotion to Captain came in July 1862. He then became ranking officer on the blockade of the North Carolina coast, from Wilmington to the Cape Fear River. His command ship was the Dacotah and, later the Fort Jackson. An active and resourceful commander, he originated the practice of using an additional outer line of blockaders. The vessels under his command accounted for the capture of more than 50 blockade runners. He took an active part in the naval attack on Fort Fisher, in December 1864 and January 1865. After the fort's capture, he commanded a division of the West Gulf Squadron and was off Galveston aboard the Fort Jackson to receive the surrender of the city on June 2, 1865. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1871. From 1867 to 1874 he was head of the Naval Observatory, despite his official retirement in 1871. He later would die in the District of Columbia.
Civil War Union Naval Officer. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, he was appointed a midshipman on April 1, 1828, and was promoted to passed midshipman in 1834, to Lieutenant in 1840, and to Commander in 1855. He demonstrated a special aptitude for naval surveying and hydrography, and among his inventions was a device for deep sea sounding. From 1850 to 1861 he served as head of the Navy's Bureau of Construction. Following the secession of Virginia, he participated in the expedition sent by Navy Secretary Gideon Welles to reinforce the Norfolk Navy Yard. When the decision was made to evacuate the yard, he supervised the hasty attempt to destroy vessels and buildings. His next assignment was far from the war, as he performed coast survey duty along the Pacific Coast of the United States. Promotion to Captain came in July 1862. He then became ranking officer on the blockade of the North Carolina coast, from Wilmington to the Cape Fear River. His command ship was the Dacotah and, later the Fort Jackson. An active and resourceful commander, he originated the practice of using an additional outer line of blockaders. The vessels under his command accounted for the capture of more than 50 blockade runners. He took an active part in the naval attack on Fort Fisher, in December 1864 and January 1865. After the fort's capture, he commanded a division of the West Gulf Squadron and was off Galveston aboard the Fort Jackson to receive the surrender of the city on June 2, 1865. He was promoted to Rear Admiral in 1871. From 1867 to 1874 he was head of the Naval Observatory, despite his official retirement in 1871. He later would die in the District of Columbia.
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