George H. Perkins

George H. Perkins
George H. Perkins
	Captain George H. Perkins, USN
Born	George Hamilton Perkins; October 20, 1836; Contoocook, New Hampshire, U.S.
Died	28 October 1899 (aged 63); Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Nationality	American

Commodore George Hamilton Perkins (October 20, 1836 – October 29, 1899) was an officer in the United States Navy during the American Civil War.

Biography

Born in

Hamilton Eliot Perkins, George was appointed as acting midshipman in October 1851 and graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy

with the class of 1856.

Early career

During the rest of that decade Midshipman Perkins served on at sea on the

Sumpter. He attained the ranks of master in 1859 and lieutenant in February 1861, on the eve of the Civil War. Perkins spent the conflict's first several months in the Sumpter, operating on anti-slavery patrols. In early 1862 he was assigned as executive officer to the West Gulf Blockading Squadron (WGBS) Unadilla-class gunboat USS Cayuga under its commanding officer Lieutenant N.B. (Napoleon Bonaparte) Harrison in which he performed distinguished service during the 1862 campaigns to capture New Orleans and the lower Mississippi River

.

During Admiral Farragut's assault up-river towards New Orleans April 24–25, the Cayuga, with Lt. Perkins at the wheel through the storm of shot and shell, was the first warship to pass forts Jackson and St. Phillip. The Cayuga found itself alone north of the forts and being assailed by eleven Confederate vessels, including the sloop rigged steamer C.S.S. Governor Moore which the Cayuga sank, and the ram C.S.S. Manassas, whose attack narrowly missed the Cayuga's stern. Once the fleet lay at anchor in the river off New Orleans, Lieutenant Perkins accompanied Captain Theodorus Bailey, U.S.N., in the first boat sent ashore, to demand the surrender of the city (which was refused).

He was next

Chickasaw. While in the latter ship, his aggressive and effective conduct during the August 1864 Battle of Mobile Bay was a major factor in the capture of the Confederate ironclad Tennessee

.

Post-Civil War

In the years immediately following the Civil War, Lieutenant Commander Perkins was superintendent of iron-clads at New Orleans, executive officer of the steam sloop

Ashuelot and had further shore duty at Boston

.

Perkins was promoted to captain in 1882 and commanded the Pacific Station flagship USS Hartford during the mid-1880s. Captain Perkins' subsequent active service was limited to court-martial duty. He was transferred to the Retired List in October 1891, but in 1896 received a Congressionally authorized promotion to the retired rank of commodore in recognition of his gallantry and skill during the Battle of Mobile Bay three decades earlier. Commodore Perkins died at Boston on 28 October 1899.

Perkins was a First Class Companion of the Massachusetts Commandery of the Military Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States.

Family

Perkins as a young midshipman during the 1850s

The commodore married a daughter of

Weld Family

.

Their daughter,

Perkins Manor

, the commodore's birthplace.

The Andersons' legacy to the public includes Anderson House, Anderson Memorial Bridge, Larz Anderson Auto Museum, Larz Anderson Bonsai Collection and Larz Anderson Park.

Ships named after Perkins

The U.S. Navy has named three destroyers in honor of George H. Perkins, including:

USS Perkins Destroyer # 26, later DD-26 of 1910–1935
USS Perkins (DD-377) of 1936–1943
USS Perkins (DD-877, later DDR-877 and DD-877) of 1945–1973.

References

Attribution

This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the Naval History and Heritage Command.
Perkins, George (1901). Letters of Captain Geo. Harrison Perkins, U.S.N. Freeport, New York: Books For Libraries Press.
ISBN 0836952197
.

External links

"Perkins, George Hamilton" . Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography. 1900. This source gives his birthday as December 20.

Authority control databases
International	FAST VIAF
National	United States
Other	SNAC