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 ...
of the
United States Navy
The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...
, who saw service in the
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...
with France, the
First Barbary War
The First Barbary War (1801–1805), also known as the Tripolitan War and the Barbary Coast War, was a conflict during the 1801–1815 Barbary Wars, in which the United States fought against Ottoman Tripolitania. Tripolitania had declared war ...
, 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 the
Second Barbary War
The Second Barbary War, also known as the U.S.–Algerian War and the Algerine War, was a brief military conflict between the United States and the North African state of Algiers in 1815.
Piracy had been rampant along the North African "Barb ...
. He was the father of Rear Admiral
Stephen Decatur Trenchard
Stephen Decatur Trenchard (July 10, 1818 – November 15, 1883) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat throughout the American Civil War, seein ...
.
Biography
Early life and background
Trenchard was born in
Salem, New Jersey
Salem is a city in and the county seat of Salem County,New Jersey County Map , the son of Curtis Trenchard. The family were descendants of George Trenchard (1655–1712) from the village of Wolverton in
Dorset
Dorset ( ; Archaism, archaically: Dorsetshire , ) is a Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is bordered by Somerset to the north-west, Wiltshire to the north and the north-east, Hampshire to the east, t ...
, who had come to America with
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer, religious thinker, and influential Quakers, Quaker who founded the Province of Pennsylvania during the British colonization of the Americas, British colonial era. An advocate of democracy and religi ...
in 1682. Edward's grandfather, also George, (1706–1780), was the Attorney-General of West New Jersey in 1767-1775 and commanded the Salem Light Horse during the Revolutionary War. Edward was initially apprenticed as an engraver under his uncle,
James Trenchard
James Trenchard (1747–?) was an American artist, printmaker, and engraver. He was born in Penns Neck, Salem County, New Jersey and by 1777 had moved to Philadelphia to work as an engraver. He was an illustrator for the ''Columbian Magazine'' ...
, the editor of the ''
Columbian Magazine
The ''Columbian Magazine'', also known as the ''Columbian Magazine or Monthly Miscellany'', was a monthly American literary magazine established by Mathew Carey, Charles Cist, William Spotswood, Thomas Seddon, and James Trenchard. It was publ ...
'', and a distinguished designer and an engraver of book-plates. However, a sea voyage to England at the age of 16 turned his mind to a military career, and on his return, he obtained 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 ...
's warrant on April 30, 1800.
War service
He was appointed to the frigate for a cruise in the West Indies during the
Quasi-War
The Quasi-War was an undeclared war from 1798 to 1800 between the United States and the French First Republic. It was fought almost entirely at sea, primarily in the Caribbean and off the East Coast of the United States, with minor actions in ...
with France. A strong friendship sprang up between Trenchard and a junior
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 ...
,
Stephen Decatur
Commodore (United States), Commodore Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was a United States Navy officer. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County, Maryland, Worcester County. His father, Ste ...
, so much so that Trenchard later named his son,
Stephen Decatur Trenchard
Stephen Decatur Trenchard (July 10, 1818 – November 15, 1883) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy. He was present at the Battle of Taku Forts in 1859, and commanded the supply ship and gunboat throughout the American Civil War, seein ...
.
After the French war the ''Adams'' was ordered to the Mediterranean, and participated in the operations off
Tripoli
Tripoli or Tripolis (from , meaning "three cities") may refer to:
Places Greece
*Tripolis (region of Arcadia), a district in ancient Arcadia, Greece
* Tripolis (Larisaia), an ancient Greek city in the Pelasgiotis district, Thessaly, near Larissa ...
in 1803. The following year Trenchard was transferred to the seeing more action off Tripoli, and when his ship was fired upon by the Spanish batteries near the
Strait of Gibraltar
The Strait of Gibraltar is a narrow strait that connects the Atlantic Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea and separates Europe from Africa.
The two continents are separated by 7.7 nautical miles (14.2 kilometers, 8.9 miles) at its narrowest point. Fe ...
on September 21, 1805.
Trenchard served aboard the in the
Home Squadron
The Home Squadron was part of the United States Navy in the mid-19th century. Organized as early as 1838, ships were assigned to protect coastal commerce, aid ships in distress, suppress piracy and the Atlantic slave trade, make coastal surveys ...
from 1806 to 1810, and was assigned to duty at the
Brooklyn Navy Yard
The Brooklyn Navy Yard (originally known as the New York Navy Yard) is a shipyard and industrial complex in northwest Brooklyn in New York City, New York (state), New York, U.S. The Navy Yard is located on the East River in Wallabout Bay, a se ...
in 1811.
On August 30, 1812, he was ordered to Sacketts Harbor on
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The Canada–United Sta ...
, to supervise the building of the sloop by Henry Eckford. The building of ''Madison'' progressed with extraordinary speed, the 500-ton ship being launched on November 26. Trenchard assumed command of the ''Madison'' with the rank of Master Commandant and took part in the naval operations on Lake Ontario during 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 ...
. Trenchard fell ill with "lake fever" (the ''Madison'' at one time having eighty of her two hundred men on the sick list) and on July 21, 1813, left the ship to recuperate. On May 15, 1814, he rejoined the ship, taking part in the blockade of
Kingston, Ontario
Kingston is a city in Ontario, Canada, on the northeastern end of Lake Ontario. It is at the beginning of the St. Lawrence River and at the mouth of the Cataraqui River, the south end of the Rideau Canal. Kingston is near the Thousand Islands, ...
, in September 1814. After the end of the war he commanded the frigate , and took part in the operations off Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis, during the
Second Barbary War
The Second Barbary War, also known as the U.S.–Algerian War and the Algerine War, was a brief military conflict between the United States and the North African state of Algiers in 1815.
Piracy had been rampant along the North African "Barb ...
of 1815.
Africa Squadron
In 1820 Trenchard was placed in command of the 20-gun sloop-of-war of the
Africa Squadron
The Africa Squadron was a unit of the United States Navy that operated from 1819 to 1861 in the Blockade of Africa to suppress the slave trade along the coast of West Africa. However, the term was often ascribed generally to anti-slavery oper ...
on anti-slavery operations off the west coast of Africa. His officers included
Matthew C. Perry
Matthew Calbraith Perry (April 10, 1794 – March 4, 1858) was a United States Navy officer who commanded ships in several wars, including the War of 1812 and the Mexican–American War. He led the Perry Expedition that Bakumatsu, ended Japan' ...
William Mervine
William Mervine (14 March 1791 – 15 September 1868) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy, whose career included service in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War and the American Civil War.
Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Merv ...
, who all went on to distinguished navy careers. ''Cyane'' had not long been on station when on April 10, she captured two brigs and five schooners close in shore near the mouth of the River Gallinos. The officers and crew of the captured vessels were sent to the United States. However
malaria
Malaria is a Mosquito-borne disease, mosquito-borne infectious disease that affects vertebrates and ''Anopheles'' mosquitoes. Human malaria causes Signs and symptoms, symptoms that typically include fever, Fatigue (medical), fatigue, vomitin ...
and yellow fever, endemic in West Africa, took a heavy toll on the crew of ''Cyane''. On April 20, Trenchard reported that thirty-six of his men were on the sick-list. In response ''Cyane'' was ordered home, and the replaced her. On his return to the United States, Trenchard was assigned to duty in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, but his health had been irrevocably damaged; he died in 1824.