Samuel Francis Du Pont, the son of Victor Marie
Du Pont de Ne mours, was born at Bergen Point, N.J., 27 September
1803, and died in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 23 June 1865. He
was appointed a midshipman in the navy from the state of Delaware
in December 1815, his first sea service being on the "Franklin,"
in the European squadron. In 1821 he served for a year on the
"Constitution," after which he was attached to the
" Congress" in the West Indies and on the coast of
Brazil. He was in the Mediterranean in 1824 on the "North
Carolina," of which vessel he became sailing master, four
months of this cruise being spent on the " Porpoise,"
to which he was ordered soon after his promotion as lieutenant,
28 April 1826.
He was attached to the " Ontario " in 1829,
made another' three years' cruise in European waters, and from
1835 till 1838 was executive officer of the " Warren"
and of the "Constellation," and commanded the "
Grampus" and the "Warren " in the Gulf of Mexico.
In the latter year he joined the "Ohio," the flagship
of Corn Hull, in the Mediterranean squadron, his cruise ending
in 1841. He was promoted commander in 1842, and sailed for China
on the " Perry," but a severe illness forced him to
give up his command and return home. In 1845 he was ordered to
the Pacific as commander of the "Congress," the flagship
of Corn. Stockton. When they reached California the Mexican war
had begun, and Du Pont was at once assigned to the command of
the "Cyane," 23 July 1846. With this vessel he captured
San Diego, took possession of La Paz, the capital of Lower Callfornia,
spiked the guns of San Blas, and entered the harbor of Guaymas,
burning two gunboats and cutting out" a Mexican brig under
a heavy fire. These operations cleared the Gulf of Callfornia
of hostile ships, thirty of which were taken or destroyed.
He took part, in the capture of Mazatlan under Com.
Shubrick, 11 November 1847, leading the line of boats that entered
the main harbor. On 15 February 1848, he landed at San Jos6 with
a naval force, and engaged a large body of Mexicans, marching
three miles inland and successfully relieving Lieutenant Heywood's
detachment, which was closely besieged in the Mission house and
about to surrender. Later he led, or sent out, various expeditions
into the interior, which cooperated with Colonel Burton and Lieutenant
(afterward General) Henry W. Halleck, who were moving southward,
clearing the country of hostile troops and taking many prisoners.
He was ordered home in 1848, became captain in 1855, and two
years later went on special service to China in command of the
"Minnesota," witnessing while there the naval operations
of the French and English forces, notably their capture of the
Chinese forts on the Peiho.
After visiting Japan, India, and Arabia, he returned
to Boston in May 1859. Placed in command of the Philadelphia
navy yard, 31 December 1860, he took the most prompt and energetic
measures, on his own responsibility, when communications were
cut off with Washington, sending a naval force to the Chesapeake
to protect the landing of troops at Annapolis. In June 1861,
he was made president of a board convened at Washington to elaborate
a general plan of naval operations against the insurgent states.
He was appointed flag officer in September and led the expedition
that sailed from Norfolk in the following month, no American
officer having ever commanded so large a fleet. On 7 November
he successfully attacked the fortifications defending Port Royal
harbor, which were ably planned and skillfully executed.
This engagement is justly regarded as one of the most
brilliant achievements of naval tactics. His unarmored vessels,
divided into main and flanking divisions, steamed into the harbor
in two parallel columns. The flanking division, after engaging
the smaller fort and driving back the enemy's ships, took position
to enfilade the principal work, before which the main column,
led by the flagship "Wabash," passed and re-passed
in an elliptic course, its tremendous fire inflicting heavy damage.
Du Pont actively followed up his victory. Tybee was seized, giving
a base for the reduction of Fort Pulaski by the army; a combined
naval and military force destroyed the batteries at Port Royal
ferry; the sounds and inland waters of Georgia south of the Savannah,
and of the eastern coast of Florida., were occupied; St. Mary's,
Fernandina, Jacksonville, and other places were captured: Fort
Clinch and the fort at St. Augustine were retaken, and fourteen
blockading stations were established, all thoroughly effective
save that off Charleston, where the vessels at command were insufficient
to cover the circuit of twenty-three miles from Bull's Bay to
Stono.
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In recognition of his services, Du Pont received
the thanks of congress, and was appointed rear admiral, to rank
from 16 July 1862. Toward the close of the year several armored
vessels were added to his command, mostly of the monitor type,
one of which destroyed the Confederate steamer " Nashville,"
under the guns of Fort McAllister. Being the first officer to
whom the monitors had been assigned, he carefully tested their
offensive powers by several attacks upon this work, on which
they were unable to make any impression on account of the small
number of their guns and the slowness of their fire. Assuming
immediate command of his nine armored vessels, mounting thirty-two
guns, Du Pont made a resolute attempt, on 7 April 1863, to take
Charleston. |
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Unable to maneuver in the tortuous channels, filled
with obstructions, that led to the harbor, the ironclads were
exposed to a terrible crossfire from a hundred guns of the heaviest
calibres, and, darkness approaching, the ships were wisely withdrawn,
one sinking soon afterward and five others being disabled. This
action was fought pursuant to express instructions from the navy
department, its probable result not having been unforeseen by
the admiral, who had given it as his opinion that the cooperation
of troops was necessary to secure success. Time has fully confirmed
the entire correctness of Du Pont's judgment; his able successor,
with a larger force of armored ships, was no more fortunate,
and Charleston only fell on the approach of Sherman's
army.
In June the ironclad ram "Atlanta" coming
out of Savannah, Du Pont sent two monitors to intercept her,
one of which, under Captain John Rodgers, succeeded in capturing
her after a brief engagement. This was the last important incident
of Admiral Du Pont's command, from which he was relieved on 5
July 1863. During the intervals of more than twenty-five years
of service at sea he was almost constantly employed on duties
of importance. He was a member of the board that prepared the
plan of organization for the United States Naval Academy, and
was one of the officers that in after years revised and extended
the system then adopted. He served on the lighthouse board, took
part in two revisions of the rules and regulations for the navy,
and was a member of the naval retiring board of 1855.
Admiral Du Pont was the author of various papers on
professional subjects, including one on corporal punishment in
the navy, and one on the use of floating batteries for coast
defense, which has been republished, and is largelv cited by
Sir Howard Douglas in his work on naval gunnery. |
Rear Admiral Samuel F.
Du Pont