Richard Wainwright (American Civil War naval officer)

Richard Wainwright
Born January 15, 1817
Charlestown, Massachusetts
Died August 10, 1862
New Orleans, Louisiana
Allegiance  United States
Service/branch  United States Navy
Years of service 1831–1862
Rank Commander
Commands held USS Merrimack
USS Hartford
Relations Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright II (cousin)
Father of Comdr. Richard Wainwright

Commander Richard Wainwright (January 15, 1817 – August 10, 1862), was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War who commanded Hartford, flagship of Admiral David G. Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron.[1]

Early life

Wainwright was born in Charlestown, Massachusetts on January 15, 1817. He was the son of Robert Dewar Wainwright and Maria Montresor Auchmuty.[2] He was a cousin of Comdr. Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright.[3][4]

Career

Wainwright was commissioned in the United States Navy on 11 May 1831. He attended the naval school at Norfolk, Virginia in 1837-38, and became a passed midshipman on 15 June 1837. From 1838 to 1841, he served on the Coast Survey in the brig Consort. He was commissioned lieutenant on 8 September 1841 and commanded the steamer Water Witch on the Navy's Home Squadron from 1848 to 1849, served again on Coast Survey from 1851 to 1857, and cruised in the steam frigate Merrimack on special service from 1857 to 1860. He was stationed at the Washington Navy Yard on ordnance duty from 1860 to 1861.

Following the outbreak of the Civil War, Wainwright was promoted to commander on 24 April 1861 and commanded Hartford, flagship of Admiral David G. Farragut's West Gulf Blockading Squadron. During the passage of the forts below New Orleans, Louisiana on the night of 24 and 25 April 1862, he performed gallant service in extinguishing a fire on Hartford while continuing the bombardment of the forts. Commended by Admiral Farragut for his actions, Wainwright later participated in the squadron's operations below Vicksburg until taken ill with fever.[5]

Personal life

On March 1, 1849, he married Sarah "Sally" Franklin Bache (1824–1880) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She was the daughter of Sophia Burrell (née Dallas) Bache and Richard Bache, Jr., who served in the Republic of Texas navy and was elected to the Texas state legislature. Her maternal grandparents were Arabella Maria Smith and Alexander J. Dallas, an American statesman who served as the U.S. Treasury Secretary under President James Madison. She was the paternal granddaughter of Sarah (née Franklin) Bache and Richard Bache, and the great-granddaughter of Benjamin Franklin. Together, they were the parents of:

Wainwright died at Donaldsonville, Louisiana on August 10, 1862 aboard the Hartford.[6]

Legacy

Three ships have been named USS Wainwright for Richard, his cousins, son and grandson.[7]

References

Notes;

  1. ↑ Cummings, Damon E. (1962). Admiral Richard Wainwright and the United States Fleet. U.S. Government Printing Office. pp. 5–6. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  2. ↑ Hardy, Stella Pickett (1911). Colonial Families of the Southern States of America: A History and Genealogy of Colonial Families who Settled in the Colonies Prior to the Revolution. Wright. p. 465. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  3. ↑ "Wainwright family papers". archives.nypl.org. The New York Public Library. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  4. ↑ "All Hands". Bureau of Naval Personnel. 1962: 39. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  5. ↑ Library of Congress; Foundation, Naval Historical (1974). Naval Historical Foundation manuscript collection: a catalog. Library of Congress. pp. 55, 131. ISBN 9780844401195. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  6. ↑ Appendix: American Revisions and Additions to the Encyclopædia Britannica, 9th Ed. R.S. Peale Company. 1892. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
  7. ↑ Command, United States Naval Ship Systems (1966). Naval Ship Systems Command Technical News. p. xxix. Retrieved 25 October 2017.
Sources
  • This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.
  •  Wilson, James Grant; Fiske, John, eds. (1889). "Wainwright, Richard". Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. New York: D. Appleton.
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