Rear Admiral Henry Kuhn Hoff (1809 – 25 December 1878) was a

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

officer An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...

. During his long career, he took part in combat in Sumatra and in the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

. Hoff was born in

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. He was appointed a midshipman from

South Carolina )'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no) , anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind" , Former = Province of South Carolina , seat = Columbia , LargestCity = Charleston , LargestMetro = ...

on 28 October 1823. He was assigned that month to the schooner in the West Indies Squadron. In 1825 he was reassigned to the frigate and was aboard her when she transported the

Marquis de Lafayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...

to France. In 1826 he transferred to the frigate in the Mediterranean Squadron. He passed the midshipman examination in 1828. Hoff was acting sailing master at the New York Navy Yard in

Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

, from 1828 to 1831 and was promoted to

passed midshipman A passed midshipman, sometimes called as "midshipman, passed", is a term used historically in the 19th century to describe a midshipman who had passed the lieutenant's exam and was eligible for promotion to lieutenant as soon as there was a vacan ...

on 23 March 1829 and to lieutenant on 3 March 1831. In June 1831 he reported aboard the frigate and took part in the

First Sumatran Expedition The First Sumatran expedition, which featured the Battle of Quallah Battoo (Aceh: Kuala Batèë, Indonesian: Kuala Batu) in 1832, was a punitive expedition by the United States Navy against the village of Kuala Batee, presently a subdistrict i ...

of 6–9 February 1832, a punitive expedition against the

Chiefdom A chiefdom is a form of hierarchical political organization in non-industrial societies usually based on kinship, and in which formal leadership is monopolized by the legitimate senior members of select families or 'houses'. These elites form a ...

of Quallah Battoo (Kuala Batee, Aceh Barat Daya, Districts of Aceh, Aceh Sultanate) mounted as a reprisal for the massacre there a year earlier of the crew of the

merchant ship A merchant ship, merchant vessel, trading vessel, or merchantman is a watercraft that transports cargo or carries passengers for hire. This is in contrast to pleasure craft, which are used for personal recreation, and naval ships, which are ...

Friendship Friendship is a relationship of mutual affection between people. It is a stronger form of interpersonal bond than an "acquaintance" or an "association", such as a classmate, neighbor, coworker, or colleague. In some cultures, the concept o ...

''. ''Potomac'' bombarded the settlement. Hoff, as part of a division of bluejackets and

marines Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refle ...

put ashore under the command of her executive officer, Lieutenant Irvine Shubrick. In the Battle of Quallah Battoo, the landing force captured two forts and killed the chiefdom's leader,

Raja ''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia. The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...

Po Muhammad, and eleven other Sumatrans in exchange for six Americans badly wounded. The expedition made Sumatran waters safe for American shipping for the following six years. Hoff was ordered to the frigate in 1837, then to the new frigate in the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron was part of the United States Navy squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Initially with no United States ports in the Pacific, they operated out of storeships which provided naval s ...

in 1843 to serve as her executive officer. Later in 1843, promoted to

lieutenant commander Lieutenant commander (also hyphenated lieutenant-commander and abbreviated Lt Cdr, LtCdr. or LCDR) is a commissioned officer rank in many navies. The rank is superior to a lieutenant and subordinate to a commander. The corresponding ran ...

, he transferred to the supply ship at Callao, Peru. He reported aboard the new frigate , operating the

Baltic Sea The Baltic Sea is an arm of the Atlantic Ocean that is enclosed by Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Russia, Sweden and the North and Central European Plain. The sea stretches from 53°N to 66°N latitude and ...

and the Atlantic Ocean, in 1848. Promoted to commander on 6 February 1854, Hoff returned to USS ''Independence'' as her commanding officer in 1856. After ''Independence'' was laid up at

Mare Island Navy Yard The Mare Island Naval Shipyard (MINSY) was the first United States Navy base established on the Pacific Ocean. It is located northeast of San Francisco in Vallejo, California. The Napa River goes through the Mare Island Strait and separates t ...

Vallejo, California Vallejo ( ; ) is a city in Solano County, California and the second largest city in the North Bay region of the Bay Area. Located on the shores of San Pablo Bay, the city had a population of 126,090 at the 2020 census. Vallejo is home to th ...

, Hoff became senior officer of the Pacific Squadron, embarked on the frigate in 1857. He returned to the United States in 1858 by sailing around

Cape Horn Cape Horn ( es, Cabo de Hornos, ) is the southernmost headland of the Tierra del Fuego archipelago of southern Chile, and is located on the small Hornos Island. Although not the most southerly point of South America (which are the Diego Ramí ...

, and in 1859 was ordered to the steam corvette at the

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was an important naval shipyard of the United States for almost two centuries. Philadelphia's original navy yard, begun in 1776 on Front Street and Federal Street in what is now the Pennsport section of the ci ...

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Shortly after the

broke out in April 1861, Hoff was promoted to captain on 30 June 1861. He commanded the steam sloop-of-war in the Pacific Squadron from 1861 to 1862. Promoted to

commodore Commodore may refer to: Ranks * Commodore (rank), a naval rank ** Commodore (Royal Navy), in the United Kingdom ** Commodore (United States) ** Commodore (Canada) ** Commodore (Finland) ** Commodore (Germany) or ''Kommodore'' * Air commodore ...

on 16 July 1862, Hoff returned to the United States in 1862 and was on special duty in 1863, and after that performed

ordnance Ordnance may refer to: Military and defense *Materiel in military logistics, including weapons, ammunition, vehicles, and maintenance tools and equipment. **The military branch responsible for supplying and developing these items, e.g., the Unit ...

duty in Philadelphia through the end of the war in April 1865 and thereafter until 1867. Hoff was promoted to rear admiral on 13 April 1867, and commanded the

North Atlantic Squadron The North Atlantic Squadron was a section of the United States Navy operating in the North Atlantic. It was renamed as the North Atlantic Fleet in 1902. In 1905 the European and South Atlantic squadrons were abolished and absorbed into the Nort ...

from October 1867 to October 1869. During his tour in command of the

squadron Squadron may refer to: * Squadron (army), a military unit of cavalry, tanks, or equivalent subdivided into troops or tank companies * Squadron (aviation), a military unit that consists of three or four flights with a total of 12 to 24 aircraft, ...

, he dealt with many sensitive issues, including troubles in

Cuba Cuba ( , ), officially the Republic of Cuba ( es, República de Cuba, links=no ), is an island country comprising the island of Cuba, as well as Isla de la Juventud and several minor archipelagos. Cuba is located where the northern Caribbea ...

, at the time a colony of Spain, where the

Ten Years' War The Ten Years' War ( es, Guerra de los Diez Años; 1868–1878), also known as the Great War () and the War of '68, was part of Cuba's fight for independence from Spain. The uprising was led by Cuban-born planters and other wealthy natives. O ...

broke out in October 1868. He promptly and energetically intervened in the conflict to protect resident

American citizen Citizenship of the United States is a legal status that entails Americans with specific rights, duties, protections, and benefits in the United States. It serves as a foundation of fundamental rights derived from and protected by the Constituti ...

s from the actions of Spanish officials. Hoff was placed on the retired list on 19 September 1868, but continued to serve the Navy after that. Returning to the United States in August 1869, he became a member of the Naval Retiring Board in October 1869, and, while serving in the capacity, was also president of the

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at the

United States Naval Academy The United States Naval Academy (US Naval Academy, USNA, or Navy) is a federal service academy in Annapolis, Maryland. It was established on 10 October 1845 during the tenure of George Bancroft as Secretary of the Navy. The Naval Academy ...

in Annapolis, Maryland, handling examinations for the Class of 1870. Hoff died in Washington, D.C., on 25 December 1878. His remains were interred at the Church of St. James the Less in Philadelphia.

Personal life

On November 13, 1838, Hoff married Louisa A. W. Bainbridge, a daughter of Commodore

William Bainbridge William Bainbridge (May 7, 1774July 27, 1833) was a Commodore in the United States Navy. During his long career in the young American Navy he served under six presidents beginning with John Adams and is notable for his many victories at sea. ...

. Their son, William Bainbridge-Hoff, born in 1846, rose to the rank of captain in the U.S. Navy and authored several influential books on naval tactics.

Notes

References

Naval History and Heritage Command: Officers of the Continental and U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, 1775-1900.

Hamersly, Lewis Randolph. ''The Records of Living Officers of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps'', Bedford, Massachusetts: Applewood Books, 1878.
Attribution: *

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hoff, Henry Kuhn 1809 births 1878 deaths United States Navy admirals Union Navy admirals Military personnel from Pennsylvania People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Burials at the Church of St. James the Less