Daniel Ammen (May 15, 1820 – July 11, 1898) was a U.S. naval officer during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

and the

Reconstruction era The Reconstruction era was a period in History of the United States, US history that followed the American Civil War (1861-65) and was dominated by the legal, social, and political challenges of the Abolitionism in the United States, abol ...

, as well as a prolific author. His last assignment in the Navy was Chief of the

Bureau of Navigation The Bureau of Navigation, later the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection and finally the Bureau of Marine Inspection and Navigation — not to be confused with the United States Navys Bureau of Navigation — was an agency of the Unite ...

Early career

Daniel Ammen was born on May 15, 1820, in

Brown County, Ohio Brown County is a county in the U.S. state of Ohio. As of the 2020 United States census, the population was 43,676. The county seat is Georgetown. The county was created in 1818 and is named for Major General Jacob Brown, an officer in th ...

, the son of David and Sarah Ammen. His father served in the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 was fought by the United States and its allies against the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, United Kingdom and its allies in North America. It began when the United States United States declaration of war on the Uni ...

and migrated to Ohio from

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

. His older brother was

Jacob Ammen Jacob Ammen (January 7, 1806 – February 6, 1894) was a college professor, civil engineer, and a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War. His younger brother, Daniel Ammen, was an admiral in the United States Navy. Early li ...

, who became a brigadier general in the Union Army. They both attended the same school as

Ulysses S. Grant Ulysses S. Grant (born Hiram Ulysses Grant; April 27, 1822July 23, 1885) was the 18th president of the United States, serving from 1869 to 1877. In 1865, as Commanding General of the United States Army, commanding general, Grant led the Uni ...

, who was best friends with Daniel. As children, Ammen rescued Grant from drowning. Ammen entered the Navy as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest Military rank#Subordinate/student officer, rank in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Royal Cana ...

on 7 July 1836 and following the basic training, he was attached to the newly commissioned supply ship USS ''Relief'', which was preparing for the

Wilkes Exploring Expedition The United States Exploring Expedition of 1838–1842 was an exploring and surveying expedition of the Pacific Ocean and surrounding lands conducted by the United States. The original appointed commanding officer was Commodore Thomas ap Catesby ...

Antarctica Antarctica () is Earth's southernmost and least-populated continent. Situated almost entirely south of the Antarctic Circle and surrounded by the Southern Ocean (also known as the Antarctic Ocean), it contains the geographic South Pole. ...

. Before he could depart for South Ocean, he was transferred to the frigate USS ''Macedonian'' in July 1837 and then transferred to USS ''Levant'' in March 1838. Ammen sailed for

West Indies The West Indies is an island subregion of the Americas, surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, which comprises 13 independent island country, island countries and 19 dependent territory, dependencies in thr ...

and while there, he was transferred to USS ''Vandalia''. In March 1840, Ammen was attached to USS ''Preble'' and took part in a cruise along the coast of

Labrador Labrador () is a geographic and cultural region within the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is the primarily continental portion of the province and constitutes 71% of the province's area but is home to only 6% of its populatio ...

, the Preble sailed for the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern Eur ...

in January 1841 to join the squadron of Commodore Charles W. Morgan. In May that year he was transferred to the USS ''Ohio'', in which he returned to

Boston Boston is the capital and most populous city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Massachusetts in the United States. The city serves as the cultural and Financial centre, financial center of New England, a region of the Northeas ...

Massachusetts Massachusetts ( ; ), officially the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Maine to its east, Connecticut and Rhode ...

, in July 1841. He was subsequently ordered to the Naval School at Philadelphia (predecessor of the

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

) and following the study during the winter of 1841–42, Ammen 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 vac ...

on July 1, 1842. He then served at the schooner USS ''Experiment'', which was used as the

receiving ship A hulk is a ship that is afloat, but incapable of going to sea. 'Hulk' may be used to describe a ship that has been launched but not completed, an abandoned wreck or shell, or a ship whose propulsion system is no longer maintained or has been r ...

Philadelphia Navy Yard The Philadelphia Naval Shipyard was the first United States Navy shipyard and was historically important for nearly two centuries. Construction of the original Philadelphia Naval Shipyard began during the American Revolution in 1776 at Front ...

. Ammen joined the crew of frigate USS ''Savannah'' and took part in the several patrol cruises in the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

. In October 1843, Ammen was transferred to the sloop USS ''Lexington'' and made several trips to the

to deliver supplies. He was attached to the USS ''Vincennes'' in April 1845 and took part in the cruise to the

East Indies The East Indies (or simply the Indies) is a term used in historical narratives of the Age of Discovery. The ''Indies'' broadly referred to various lands in Eastern world, the East or the Eastern Hemisphere, particularly the islands and mainl ...

. Following his promotion to the rank of

Master Master, master's or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles In education: *Master (college), head of a college *Master's degree, a postgraduate or sometimes undergraduate degree in the specified discipline *Schoolmaster or master, presiding office ...

(equivalent of present rank of

Lieutenant (junior grade) Lieutenant junior grade is a junior commissioned officer rank used in a number of navies. United States Lieutenant (junior grade), commonly abbreviated as LTJG or, historically, Lt. (j.g.) (as well as variants of both abbreviations), i ...

, Ammen was granted three-month leave with permission to visit Europe and then join the Mediterranean Squadron under Commodore Charles W. Morgan, whose Ammen knew from his previous assignment in 1841. Morgan promoted Ammen to

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on November 4, 1849, and appointed him Commanding officer of frigate USS ''St. Lawrence''. Ammen commanded the ship in the Mediterranean during the crisis caused by

First Schleswig War The First Schleswig War (), also known as the Schleswig-Holstein uprising () and the Three Years' War (), was a military conflict in southern Denmark and northern Germany rooted in the Schleswig–Holstein question: who should control the Du ...

and returned to the United States with that vessel in November 1850. Following a tour of coast survey duty, Ammen was ordered to the gunboat USS ''Water Witch'' under command of Lieutenant Thomas J. Page and sailed for

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a considerably smaller portion in the Northern Hemisphere. It can also be described as the southern Subregion#Americas, subregion o ...

for expedition to explore the

Río de la Plata Basin The Río de la Plata basin (, ), more often called the River Plate basin in scholarly writings, sometimes called the Platine basin or Platine region, is the Hydrography, hydrographical area in South America that drains to the Río de la Plata. I ...

. He then joined the crew of brig USS ''Bainbridge'' in May 1854 and participated in the patrol cruises with the

Brazil Squadron The Brazil Squadron, the Brazil Station, or the South Atlantic Squadron was an overseas military station established by the United States in 1826 to protect American commerce in the South Atlantic during a war between Brazil and Argentina. When t ...

until January 1855. He then served at the

Naval Observatory The United States Naval Observatory (USNO) is a scientific and military facility that produces geopositioning, navigation and timekeeping data for the United States Navy and the United States Department of Defense. Established in 1830 as the D ...

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

, until August 1857 and then joined USS ''Saranac'' which patrolled Pacific Ocean areas. Ammen was transferred to the Flagship of the

Pacific Squadron The Pacific Squadron of the United States Navy, established c. 1821 and disbanded in 1907, was a naval squadron stationed in the Pacific Ocean in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Developing from a small force protecting United States commerc ...

, USS ''Merrimack'' and served under Commodore John C. Long until ship's return to the United States in February 1860. He was then stationed at the Naval Facility in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

, until the outbreak of the

in April 1861.

American Civil War

One month following the outbreak of the War, Ammen was attached to the frigate USS ''Roanoke'' and immediately embarked for the

Union blockade The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederate States of America, Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required ...

. He was aboard, when ''Roanoke'' destroyed the

Confederate A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a political union of sovereign states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

schooner A schooner ( ) is a type of sailing ship, sailing vessel defined by its Rig (sailing), rig: fore-and-aft rigged on all of two or more Mast (sailing), masts and, in the case of a two-masted schooner, the foremast generally being shorter than t ...

''Mary'' off Lockwood Folly Inlet,

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, in July 1861. Ammen was appointed commanding officer of newly commissioned gunboat USS ''Seneca'' in September that year and took part in the

South Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Atlantic Blockading Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy created in the early days of the American Civil War to enforce the Union blockade of the ports of the Confederate States. It was formed in 1861 and split up the same year for th ...

. Ammen then participated in the

Battle of Port Royal The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured Port Royal Sound, South Carolina, between Savannah, Geo ...

on November 7, 1861, and was commended for bravery, when he went ashore to hoist the flag over the surrendered forts, and hold them till the army took possession. He then took part in the actions on the Wilmington River at the end of January 1862 and participated in the capture of several Confederate vessels and the town of

Fernandina, Florida Fernandina Beach is a city in and the county seat of Nassau County, Florida, Nassau County, Florida, United States, in the state's northeastern corner. It is the northernmost city on Florida's Atlantic coast, situated on Amelia Island, and is o ...

. Upon his promotion to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank as well as a job title in many army, armies. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countri ...

on July 16, 1862, Ammen assumed command of the gunboat USS ''Sebago'', which he commanded only for a brief period. He was ordered to

, in October 1862 and joined the monitor USS ''Patapsco'', which was just launched. The ''Patapsco'' was commissioned in January 1863, and Ammen joined with her the

. He took part in the Naval bombardment of Fort McAllister between January–March 1863 and although Union ships did not capture the fort, commanding admiral Samuel F. Du Pont had the opportunity to test ship's new guns. Ammen was relieved due to illness in June that year and was on sick leave until September. He was subsequently attached to the staff of the

under Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren and served as Dahlgren's aide aboard the USS ''Philadelphia''. Ammen took part in the

Second Battle of Fort Sumter The Second Battle of Fort Sumter was fought on September 8, 1863, in Charleston Harbor. Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard, who had commanded the defenses of Charleston and captured Fort Sumter in the first battle of the war, was in ove ...

in September 1863. Ammen became ill again in January 1864 and spent two months with treatment. He then assumed temporary command of the USS ''Shenandoah'' in March that year and served with the

North Atlantic Blockading Squadron The Union blockade in the American Civil War was a naval strategy by the United States to prevent the Confederacy from trading. The blockade was proclaimed by President Abraham Lincoln in April 1861, and required the monitoring of of Atlantic ...

for one month, before he was appointed officer-in-charge of Marine recruits aboard the merchant vessel in May 1864. His main task was to transport approximately 220 Naval recruits from

Aspinwall, Pennsylvania Aspinwall is a borough on the Allegheny River in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. The population was 2,916 at the 2020 census. History In the mid-1880s, the area which is now Aspinw ...

, to

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. There was also about 500 passengers aboard that vessel. The recruits were recently transferred from the Army to the Navy as replacements, and shortly after the departure from Aspinwall, approximately 30 recruits began planning the plot to seize the ship. They intended to kill everyone who should oppose them, and the conspiracy included the running of the vessel, after her seizure, on their own account. The mutineers attacked Captain Tinklepaugh, but he refused to comply and called for Commander Ammen. Captain Tinklepaugh, who had expected the difficulty and was prepared, aimed his revolver at the head of the one of mutineers' leaders, and warned him that if he advanced a step further he would lose his life. Mutineer sprang forward and Tinklepaugh killed him instantly, Ammen subsequently pulled out his revolver and shot another one, who tried to attack him. The rest of the mutineers then surrendered and Ammen ordered to put them all to the

handcuffs Handcuffs are Physical restraint, restraint devices designed to secure an individual's wrists in proximity to each other. They comprise two parts, linked together by a Link chain, chain, a hinge, or rigid bar. Each cuff has a rotating arm whi ...

. In October 1864, Ammen was appointed commander of the USS ''Mohican'' and commanded ''Mohican'' during the attacks on Fort Fisher in December 1864 and January 1865.

Postwar service

Following the War, Ammen was assigned to the Naval Machinery at

Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...

, in July 1865 and remained there until September that year, when he was appointed commanding officer of the

monitor Monitor or monitor may refer to: Places * Monitor, Alberta * Monitor, Indiana, town in the United States * Monitor, Kentucky * Monitor, Oregon, unincorporated community in the United States * Monitor, Washington * Monitor, Logan County, Wes ...

USS ''Miantonomoh''. He served with that vessel within 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 No ...

until March 1866, when he was detached for special duty in

Hartford, Connecticut Hartford is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Connecticut. The city, located in Hartford County, Connecticut, Hartford County, had a population of 121,054 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 ce ...

. While there, Ammen was promoted to the rank of

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on July 25, 1866. He was appointed commanding officer of a newly commissioned

screw steamer A screw steamer or screw steamship (abbreviated "SS") is an old term for a steamship or steamboat powered by a steam engine, using one or more propellers (also known as ''screws'') to propel it through the water. Such a ship was also known as an " ...

USS ''Piscataqua'' at

Portsmouth Navy Yard The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNS), often called the Portsmouth Navy Yard, is a United States Navy shipyard on Seavey's Island in Kittery, Maine, bordering Portsmouth, New Hampshire. The naval yard lies along the southern boundary of Maine on ...

and served within the

Asiatic Station The Asiatic Squadron was a squadron (naval), squadron of United States Navy warships stationed in East Asia during the latter half of the 19th century. It was created in 1868 when the East India Squadron was disbanded. Vessels of the squadron w ...

until February 1869. During his service there, Ammen's vessel served as

Flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...

to Commanding admiral, Stephen C. Rowan. Daniel Ammen - Brady-Handy

Following his return stateside and leave with family, Ammen was appointed chief of the

Bureau of Yards and Docks The Bureau of Yards and Docks (abbrev.: BuDocks) was the branch of the United States Navy responsible from 1842 to 1966 for building and maintaining navy yards, drydocks, and other facilities relating to ship construction, maintenance, and repai ...

in May 1869. He was responsible for building and maintaining navy yards,

drydocks A dry dock (sometimes drydock or dry-dock) is a narrow basin or vessel that can be flooded to allow a load to be floated in, then drained to allow that load to come to rest on a dry platform. Dry docks are used for the construction, maintenance, ...

, and other facilities relating to

ship construction Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. In modern times, it normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces i ...

, maintenance, and repair until August 1871. He was subsequently appointed chief of the

and promoted to

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

on April 1, 1872. While in this assignment, his principal responsibilities were to provide nautical charts and instruments and to oversee several activities involved

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the motion, movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navig ...

research, including the

. In 1872 he was appointed member of a commission to examine and report on the feasibility of constructing a canal through Nicaragua. The commission reported in favour of the Nicaraguan route, which he strongly advocated. He was promoted to

rear admiral Rear admiral is a flag officer rank used by English-speaking navies. In most European navies, the equivalent rank is called counter admiral. Rear admiral is usually immediately senior to commodore and immediately below vice admiral. It is ...

on December 11, 1877. Ammen served with the Bureau of Navigation until his retirement from the Navy on June 4, 1878.

Retirement

Two years later, he wrote ''The American Inter-Oceanic Ship Canal Question''. Afterwards he was a member of the board to locate the new

, and a representative of the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

at the Interoceanic Ship Canal Congress in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

. He designed a cask balsa to facilitate the landing of troops and field artillery, a life-raft for steamers, and the steel ram USS in 1893. After retirement, Ammen lived in

Beltsville, Maryland Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Beltsville includes the unincorporate ...

. He later purchased a farm twelve miles from

, at Ammendale, a station named in his honor. The Ammendale Normal Institute was built there with his support in 1880. His publications include ''The Atlantic Coast in The Navy'' in the ''Civil War Series''; ''Recollections of Grant''; and ''The Old Navy and the New''. He died on July 11, 1898, at the Naval Hospital in

, and was buried at

Arlington National Cemetery Arlington National Cemetery is the largest cemetery in the United States National Cemetery System, one of two maintained by the United States Army. More than 400,000 people are buried in its 639 acres (259 ha) in Arlington County, Virginia. ...

. Ammen was married and had one son, Ulysses Grant Ammen (1871–1913), who served as Paymaster in the Navy.

Namesake

Two ships in the United States Navy have been named for him.

References

* (1901) ''Encyclopaedia of United States History'' :

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Ammen, Daniel 1820 births 1898 deaths People from Brown County, Ohio Military personnel from Ohio People of Ohio in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy rear admirals (upper half) Historians from Ohio American naval historians American male non-fiction writers People from Beltsville, Maryland Burials at Arlington National Cemetery