Franklin Buchanan
Franklin Buchanan | |
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Battles/wars | Mexican–American War American Civil War |
Other work | College president and businessman |
Franklin Buchanan (September 17, 1800 – May 11, 1874) was an officer in the United States Navy who became the only full admiral in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. He also commanded the ironclad CSS Virginia.
Early life
Franklin Buchanan was born in
He joined the U.S. Navy on January 28, 1815, and became a midshipman; he was promoted to lieutenant on January 13, 1825, commander on September 8, 1841, and then captain on September 14, 1855.[1]
On February 19, 1835, at Annapolis, Maryland, he married Ann Catherine Lloyd. They had nine children: eight daughters and a son.
During the 45 years he served in the U.S. Navy, Buchanan had extensive and worldwide sea duty. He commanded the
With the Civil War upon him, he resigned his commission on April 22, 1861, expecting his home state of Maryland to eventually secede. When that did not happen, he tried to recall his resignation, but U.S. Secretary of the Navy, Gideon Welles said he did not want traitors or half-hearted patriots in his navy and refused to reinstate him.[1] Thus in May 1861 he was out of the U.S. Navy.
Civil War
On September 5, 1861, Franklin Buchanan joined the Confederate Navy and was given a captain's commission. On February 24, 1862, the
Buchanan was the captain of CSS Virginia (formerly
In August 1862, Buchanan was promoted to the rank of full admiral – the only officer so honored in the Confederate Navy – and was sent to take command of Confederate naval forces stationed at
Later life
Following the conflict, Buchanan lived in Maryland and in Mobile, Alabama, until 1870, when he again took up residence in Maryland. He died there on May 11, 1874. He is buried at the Wye House family plot outside Easton, Maryland.
Legacy
Three U.S. Navy destroyers have been named Buchanan in honor of Confederate Admiral Franklin Buchanan: DD-131 (Wickes class), DD-484 (Gleaves class), and DDG-14 (Charles F. Adams class). The superintendent's quarters at the United States Naval Academy is named the Buchanan House and a street on the Academy grounds is named Buchanan Road. However, in 2023, a naming commission created by federal law to reexamine Confederate-related names and symbols on military installations recommended that Buchanan House and Buchanan Road be renamed.[7] On May 1, 2023, it was announced the Superintendent's quarters will be renamed Farragut House to honor Admiral David Glasgow Farragut.[8]
See also
- List of superintendents of the United States Naval Academy
References
- ^ a b c d Quarstein, "Franklin Buchanan"
- ^ Symonds, p. 152.
- ^ Jones, Terry L., Historical dictionary of the Civil War, Lanham, Scarecrow Press, 2011, p . 638.
- ^ United States Naval Institute Proceedings, Volume 88, U.S. Naval Institute, 1962, p. 68.
- ^ Tucker, Spencer, Almanac of American military history, Santa Barbara, ABC-CLIO, 2013, p. 668.
- ^ a b Symonds, p. 254.
- ^ "Naval Academy renames Maury Hall for President Jimmy Carter in effort to remove Confederate symbols". February 17, 2023.
- ^ "SECNAV Renames United States Naval Academy Superintendent's Quarters after Admiral Farragu".
Bibliography
- Quarstein, John V. (2012), The CSS Virginia: Sink before surrender, Charleston: History Press, ISBN 9781609495800.
- ISBN 978-1-59114-846-3.
- Lewis, Charles L. (1929), Admiral Franklin Buchanan: Fearless Man of Action, Baltimore: The Norman Remington Company Online
External links
- Photos of Buchanan – from the Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.
- Franklin Buchanan Naval Papers, 1796–1847 (bulk 1817–1847) MS 1 held by Special Collections & Archives Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine, Nimitz Library Archived October 18, 2014, at the Wayback Machine at the United States Naval Academy Archived September 6, 2016, at the Wayback Machine