Du Pont, the making of an admiral: A biography of Samuel Francis Du Pont - Hardcover

Du Pont; The Making of an Admiral A Biography of Samuel Francis Du Pont

Hardcover. Zustand: Very good. Zustand des Schutzumschlags: Good. x, 316, [4] pages. Footnotes. Bibliography. Index. Publisher's ephemera laid in (press release, author photo, and review copy slip). The dust jacket has some wear, tears, and soiling. An excellent biography of the "first naval hero of the Civil War." Enlivened by frequent quotations, especially from Du Pont's exceptionally detailed letters to his wife, this biography also "accurately mirrors the history of the United States Navy from 1815 to 1865." Merrill follows Du Pont (1803-65) from his service as a midshipman through his duty on distant stations, to participation in the Mexican War, Far Eastern diplomatic activities, work in organizing the Naval Academy and on several important naval boards, and part in the changes from sail to steam and in the Civil War. - Amazon. While still a Merchant Marine Cadet, Lieutenant Merrill was on board the Samuel Gompers when she was torpedoed in the South Pacific in 1943. Subsequently graduating from the U. S. Merchant Marine Academy in 1944, he received his Third Mate's papers and an Ensign's commission in the U. S. Naval Reserve. From 1944 to 1946, he served on board the U.S.S. Chincoteague (AVP-24) and was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant (j.g.). Merrill graduated from Pomona College in 1947, and received his M.A. degree in history at the Claremont and a Doctor of Philosophy, University of California, Los Angeles, in 1954. He was the recipient of the Harry E. Pratt Memorial award; he was a John and Dora Haynes grantee, 1958; he was a Guggenheim research fellow, 1958-1959; and he was a Mershon National Security fellow, 1961-1962. Samuel Francis Du Pont (September 27, 1803 June 23, 1865) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, and a member of the prominent Du Pont family. In the MexicanAmerican War, Du Pont captured San Diego, and was made commander of the California naval blockade. Through the 1850s, he promoted engineering studies at the United States Naval Academy, to enable more mobile and aggressive operations. In the American Civil War, he played a major role in making the Union blockade effective, but was controversially blamed for the failed attack on Charleston, South Carolina in April 1863. He was encouraged to instead enlist in the U.S. Navy. His family's close connections with President Thomas Jefferson helped secure him an appointment as a midshipman by President James Madison at the age of 12, and he first set sail aboard the 74-gun ship of the line Franklin out of Delaware in December 1815. As there was no naval academy at the time, Du Pont learned mathematics and navigation at sea and became an accomplished navigator by the time he took his next assignment aboard the frigate Constitution in 1821. In June 1833, Du Pont married Sophie Madeleine du Pont (181088), his first cousin as the daughter of his uncle, Eleuthère Irénée du Pont. As he never kept an officer's journal, his voluminous correspondence with Sophie serves as the main documentation of his operations and observations throughout the rest of his naval career. Du Pont was given command of the sloop Cyane in 1846 and quickly showed his skill as a naval combat commander, taking or destroying thirty enemy ships and clearing the Gulf of California in the process. Du Pont transported Major John Fremont's troops to San Diego, where they captured the city. Du Pont then continued operations along the Baja coast, including the capture of La Paz, and burnt two enemy gunboats in the harbor of Guaymas under heavy fire. He led the main line of ships that took Mazatlán on November 11, 1847, and on February 15, 1848, launched an amphibious assault on San José del Cabo that managed to strike three miles (5 km) inland and relieve a besieged squadron, despite heavy resistance. He was given command of the California naval blockade in the last months of the war and, after taking part in further land maneuvers, was ordered home. When communication was cut off with Washington at the start of the Civil War, Du Pont took the initiative of sending a fleet to the Chesapeake Bay to protect the landing of Union troops at Annapolis, Maryland. In June 1861 he was made president of a board in Washington formed to develop a plan of naval operations against the Confederacy. He was appointed flag officer serving aboard the steam frigate Wabash as commander of the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, leading from Norfolk, Virginia, the largest fleet ever commanded by an American officer at that time. On November 7, Du Pont led a successful attack on the fortifications at Port Royal harbor in South Carolina. This victory enabled Union naval forces to secure the southern waters of Georgia and the entire eastern coast of Florida, and an effective blockade was established. On January 3, 1862, he was promoted to the newly created rank of Flag Officer (equivalent to the rank of Commodore, which would be created in July 1862). Du Pont received commendations from U.S. Congress for his brilliant tactical success, and was appointed rear admiral on July 16, 1862. First Edition [stated], presumed first printing. Artikel-Nr. 88784

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