John R. Goldsborough
John R. Goldsborough | |
---|---|
United States of America | |
Service/ | United States Navy |
Years of service | 1824–1870 |
Rank | Commodore |
Commands held |
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Battles/wars |
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Relations | Louis M. Goldsborough (brother) |
Promoted to lieutenant in 1837 he was involved in charting the United States East Coast and in 1847 introduced the standardized system of markings for buoys and navigational markers ashore still in use in the United States today.
Goldsborough was a commodore at the outbreak of the American Civil War in April 1861, commanding the screw steamer USS Union. That year the Union captured several Confederate blockade runners and engaged and destroyed the Confederate privateer York. He was promoted to captain in 1862. During the rest of the war he was successful in several commands, capturing further Confederate ships.
After the war he voyaged widely in the Atlantic, Indian Ocean and China Sea. In 1868 he was briefly Commander-in-Chief of the Asiatic Squadron. He retired in 1870.
Early career
Goldsborough was born in Washington, D.C., on 2 July 1809, the son of a chief clerk in the
Coast Survey duty
Goldsborough was promoted to
Promoted to
American Civil War
After the outbreak of the American Civil War in April 1861, on May 17, 1861, Goldsborough was in command of the newly commissioned screw steamer USS Union in the newly re-designated Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and initiated the Union blockade of Savannah, Georgia, on 28 May 1861. On 1 June 1861, Union captured a Confederate blockade runner, the schooner C. W. Johnson with a cargo of railroad iron, off the coast of North Carolina; she also captured the blockade runner Amelia, carrying a cargo of contraband from Liverpool, England, off Charleston, South Carolina, on 18 June 1861. On 28 July 1861, Union destroyed the former Union brig B. T. Martin, which had been captured by the Confederate privateer York and then run aground by the Confederates, north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. On 9 August 1861, York captured the Union schooner George G. Baker and Union intervened, recapturing George G. Baker and forcing the crew of York to set York on fire and abandon her off Cape Hatteras.[1][6] Union then was transferred to the Potomac Flotilla in August 1861.[7]
Goldsborough took command of the newly commissioned
Later career
From 1865 to 1868, Goldsborough commanded the
The commander-in-chief of the Asiatic Squadron, Rear Admiral
Goldsborough retired from the Navy on 2 July 1870.[1]
Personal life
Around 1833, Goldsborough married the former Mary Lawrence Pennington (29 August 1825 – 8 May 1869), who resided in Philadelphia during his Navy service.[3]
Goldsborough was a
Death
Goldsborough died in Philadelphia on 22 June 1877.[2] He is buried with his wife at the Church of St. James the Less in Philadelphia.
See also
Notes
- ^ a b c d e f Lewis Randolph Hamersly (1890). The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (4th ed.). L. R. Hamersly & Co. p. 441.
- ^ a b c d Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775–1900. Archived 2010-07-07 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ a b c d e William L. Clements Library: John R. Goldsborough Papers (1861–1867)
- ^ "Theberge, Captain Albert E., The Coast Survey 1807–1867: Volume I of the History of the Commissioned Corps of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, "THE HASSLER LEGACY: FERDINAND RUDOLPH HASSLER and the UNITED STATES COAST SURVEY: THE REBIRTH OF THE SURVEY," no publisher listed, NOAA History, 1998". Archived from the original on 2014-11-09. Retrieved 2014-10-30.
- Naval History & Heritage Command. Archived from the originalon 24 September 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- ^ coastalguide.com Southern Expedition, 1861
- Naval History & Heritage Command. Archived from the originalon 23 October 2012. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- Naval History & Heritage Command. Retrieved 16 July 2012.
- ISBN 978-1-55750-883-6.
- ISBN 9781417975785.