Nowell Salmon
Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath |
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A few years later Salmon was dispatched from British Honduras (now Belize) to take custody of William Walker, an American citizen who had briefly been president of Nicaragua, but who was now attempting further conquests in Central America. The British Government regarded Walker as a menace to its own affairs in the region. Salmon captured Walker and delivered him to the authorities in Honduras, who promptly had him court-martialed and executed.
Salmon went on to be Commander-in-Chief,
Early career
Salmon was the son of Reverend Henry Salmon, Rector of Swarraton and Emily Salmon (daughter of Admiral William Nowell), Salmon was educated at Marlborough College and joined the Royal Navy as cadet in May 1847.[1] Promoted to midshipman, he was appointed to the second-rate HMS James Watt in the Baltic Sea in March 1854 and saw action during the Crimean War.[1] Promoted to lieutenant on 5 January 1856, he joined the gunboat HMS Ant in March 1856 before transferring to the frigate HMS Shannon on the East Indies Station later that year.[1] He served in the naval brigade and took part in the Siege of Lucknow in November 1857 during the Indian Mutiny.[1] He was a member of the force defending the Residency when he volunteered to climb a tree near the wall of the Shah Nujeff mosque to observe the fall of shot, despite being under fire himself and wounded in the thigh.[1] He and his colleague, Leading Seaman John Harrison, were awarded the Victoria Cross.[1] His citation reads:
Date of Act of Bravery, 16 November 1857 For conspicuous gallantry at Lucknow, on the 16 November 1857, in climbing up a tree, touching the angle of the Shah Nujjiff, to reply to the fire of the enemy, for which most dangerous service, the late Captain Peel, K.C.B., had called for volunteers.[2]
Salmon took part in the Recapture of Lucknow in March 1858 and was promoted to commander on 22 March 1858.[1] He became commanding officer of the sloop HMS Icarus on the North America and West Indies Station in November 1859.[1] In 1860, Salmon was dispatched from British Honduras (now Belize) to take custody of William Walker, an American citizen who had briefly been president of Nicaragua, but who was now attempting further conquests in Central America. The British Government regarded Walker as a menace to its own affairs in the region.[3] Salmon captured Walker and delivered him to the authorities in Honduras, who promptly had him court-martialed and shot.[1]
Promoted to
Senior command
Promoted to
Salmon was promoted to full
Salmon's Victoria Cross is on display in the Lord Ashcroft Gallery at the Imperial War Museum in London.[16]
Family
In January 1866 Salmon married Emily Augusta Saunders; they had a son and a daughter.[6]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Heathcote, p. 224
- ^ "No. 22212". The London Gazette. 24 December 1858. p. 5512.
- ^ Scroggs, pp. 72–4
- ^ "No. 24213". The London Gazette. 29 May 1875. p. 2852.
- ^ "No. 24282". The London Gazette. 7 January 1876. p. 57.
- ^ a b c d e f Heathcote, p. 225
- ^ "No. 24749". The London Gazette. 5 August 1879. p. 4805.
- ^ "No. 25490". The London Gazette. 14 July 1885. p. 3240.
- ^ "No. 25712". The London Gazette. 21 June 1887. p. 3362.
- ^ "No. 26203". The London Gazette. 22 September 1891. p. 4987.
- ^ "No. 26867". The London Gazette. 25 June 1897. p. 3567.
- ^ "No. 26947". The London Gazette. 14 March 1898. p. 1618.
- ^ "No. 26885". The London Gazette. 24 August 1897. p. 4726.
- ^ "No. 27043". The London Gazette. 17 January 1899. p. 298.
- ^ "No. 27772". The London Gazette. 7 March 1905. p. 1845.
- ^ "Location of Victoria Crosses". National Museum of the Royal Navy. Retrieved 25 December 2014.
Sources
- Heathcote, Tony (2002). The British Admirals of the Fleet 1734 – 1995. Pen & Sword Ltd. ISBN 0-85052-835-6.
- Scroggs, William O. (1916). Filibusters and Financiers; the story of William Walker and his associates. New York: The Macmillan Company.
External links
- The Dreadnought Project: Nowell Salmon
- William Loney Career History
- The Times Obituary of Sir Nowell Salmon (15 February 1912)