John Ancrum Winslow (19 November 1811 – 29 September 1873) was an officer in 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 ...
during the
Mexican–American War
The Mexican–American War (Spanish language, Spanish: ''guerra de Estados Unidos-México, guerra mexicano-estadounidense''), also known in the United States as the Mexican War, and in Mexico as the United States intervention in Mexico, ...
and 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 ...
. He was in command of the steam
sloop of war
During the 18th and 19th centuries, a sloop-of-war was a warship of the Royal Navy with a single gun deck that carried up to 18 guns. The rating system of the Royal Navy covered all vessels with 20 or more guns; thus, the term encompassed all ...
during her historic 1864 action off
Cherbourg
Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...
, France, with 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 ...
sea raider .
Early life and career
Although born in
Wilmington, North Carolina
Wilmington is a port city in New Hanover County, North Carolina, United States. With a population of 115,451 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, eighth-most populous city in the st ...
, Winslow was a member of the old
New England
New England is a region consisting of six states in the Northeastern United States: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. It is bordered by the state of New York (state), New York to the west and by the ...
Winslow family, a descendant of ''
Mayflower
''Mayflower'' was an English sailing ship that transported a group of English families, known today as the Pilgrims, from England to the New World in 1620. After 10 weeks at sea, ''Mayflower'', with 102 passengers and a crew of about 30, reac ...
'' passenger
Mary Chilton and her husband John Winslow, who was a brother of Pilgrim father
Edward Winslow
Edward Winslow (18 October 15958 May 1655) was a English Separatist, Separatist and New England political leader who traveled on the ''Mayflower'' in 1620. He was one of several senior leaders on the ship and also later at Plymouth Colony. Both ...
. One of his first cousins was Francis Winslow (I) (1818–1862), who also joined the Navy, becoming a Commander, who also fought in the Civil War and who died of
yellow fever in 1862 while in command of the . Winslow's descendants included grandson
Eben Eveleth Winslow
Eben Eveleth Winslow (May 13, 1866 – June 28, 1928) was a career officer in the United States Army. He graduated from the United States Military Academy ranked first in the Class of 1889, and served in the Army's Corps of Engineers. A veteran ...
, a U.S. Army brigadier general.
John Winslow was educated in the North and became an ardent
abolitionist
Abolitionism, or the abolitionist movement, is the political movement to end slavery and liberate enslaved individuals around the world.
The first country to fully outlaw slavery was Kingdom of France, France in 1315, but it was later used ...
.
He 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 1 February 1827, became a
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 10 June 1833, and was commissioned a
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 9 February 1839. During the
Mexican War he took part in the expeditions against
Tabasco
Tabasco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Tabasco, is one of the Political divisions of Mexico, 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Tabasco, 17 municipalities and its capital city is Villahermosa.
It i ...
,
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the southeastern part of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas. It is located on the north bank of the Pánuco River, about inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and directly north of the state of Veracruz. Tampico is the fif ...
, and
Tuxpan
Tuxpan (or Túxpam, fully Túxpam de Rodríguez Cano, for Enrique Rodríguez Cano) is both a municipality and city located in the Mexican state of Veracruz. The population of the city was 89,557 and of the municipality was 154,600 inhabitants, ...
, and was present at the
fall of Veracruz. For his gallantry in action he was allowed to have command of the
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 ...
, which had been captured at Tampico in November 1846 and was taken into service, but she was poorly equipped and was lost on a reef off Veracruz on 16 December 1846.
While serving at Tabasco during the Mexican–American War, he was commended for gallantry in action by
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 ' ...
Matthew Perry
Matthew Langford Perry (August 19, 1969 – October 28, 2023) was an American and Canadian actor, comedian, director and screenwriter. He gained international fame for starring as Chandler Bing on the NBC television sitcom ''Friends'' (1994– ...
. He shared a shipboard cabin with his later adversary,
Raphael Semmes
Raphael Semmes ( ; September 27, 1809 – August 30, 1877) was an officer in the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War. He had served as an officer in the United States Navy from 1826 to 1860.
During the American Civil War, Semmes was c ...
. The two officers served together on , Semmes as the ship's
flag lieutenant and Winslow as a
division officer
A division officer (known as a divisional officer in the UK) commands a shipboard division of enlisted personnel, and is typically the lowest ranking officer in their administrative chain of command. Enlisted personnel aboard United States Nav ...
. The two, however, never mention this fact in their respective autobiographies.
He was executive of the sloop in the
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico () is an oceanic basin and a marginal sea of the Atlantic Ocean, mostly surrounded by the North American continent. It is bounded on the northeast, north, and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States; on the southw ...
in 1848–49, at the
Boston Navy Yard
The Boston Navy Yard, originally called the Charlestown Navy Yard and later Boston Naval Shipyard, was one of the oldest shipbuilding facilities in the United States Navy. It was established in 1801 as part of the recent establishment of t ...
in 1849–50, and in the frigate 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 ...
in 1851–55. He was promoted to commander on 14 September 1855.
Civil War service
The outbreak of the Civil War found Winslow serving ashore as commanding officer of the 2d Lighthouse District. He decided to stay with the
Union, probably due to his New England roots, anti-slavery views, and his wife, who was another of his first cousins, also from
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 ...
. After Flag Officer
Andrew H. Foote
Andrew Hull Foote (September 12, 1806 – June 26, 1863) was an American naval officer who was noted for his service in the American Civil War and also for his contributions to several naval reforms in the years prior to the war. When the war cam ...
relieved Commander
John Rodgers in command of the
Western Flotilla
The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union brown-water naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and ...
, he requested that Winslow be sent west to assist him as executive officer. At
Cairo, Illinois
Cairo ( , sometimes ) is the southernmost city in the U.S. state of Illinois and the county seat of Alexander County, Illinois, Alexander County. A river city, Cairo has the lowest elevation of any location in Illinois and is the only Illinoi ...
, Winslow labored to fit out and man gunboats for service on the
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...
and its tributaries. In October 1861, he assumed command of at
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...
. As that deep-draft gunboat was steaming down river to Cairo, she ran aground on a sandbar. While attempting to refloat the ship, Winslow was badly injured by a flying chain link and forced to return home late in the year to recover. When he was able to return to duty in the summer of 1862, Winslow was given comparatively minor assignments. He contracted
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 ...
, became discontented, and asked to be reassigned to other duty.
Detached from the
Mississippi Squadron
The Mississippi River Squadron was the Union brown-water naval squadron that operated on the western rivers during the American Civil War. It was initially created as a part of the Union Army, although it was commanded by naval officers, and ...
, Winslow returned to his home in
Roxbury, Massachusetts
Roxbury () is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States.
Roxbury is a Municipal annexation in the United States, dissolved municipality and one of 23 official neighborhoods of Boston used by the city for ne ...
, early in November and was confined to bed there for a month attempting to regain his health. On 5 December 1862, orders arrived directing him to proceed via New York City to the
Azores
The Azores ( , , ; , ), officially the Autonomous Region of the Azores (), is one of the two autonomous regions of Portugal (along with Madeira). It is an archipelago composed of nine volcanic islands in the Macaronesia region of the North Atl ...
, where he was to assume command of the
screw sloop
A screw sloop is a propeller-driven sloop-of-war. They were popularized in the mid-19th century, during the introduction of the steam engine and the transition of fleets to this new technology.
The sailing sloop
The British sloop in the Age o ...
. Two days later, he went to New York where he embarked in for passage to
Fayal
Faial Island (), also known as Fayal Island, is a Portugal, Portuguese island of the Central Group or ''Grupo Central'' of the Azores, in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Capelinhos volcano is the westernmost point of the island and is considered the we ...
. However, when he reached that island on
Christmas Eve
Christmas Eve is the evening or entire day before Christmas, the festival commemorating nativity of Jesus, the birth of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus. Christmas Day is observance of Christmas by country, observed around the world, and Christma ...
, he found that ''Kearsarge'' had sailed to
Spain
Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...
for repairs, and he was forced to remain at Fayal until spring. When the screw sloop finally returned early in April 1863, he assumed command.
In ''Kearsarge'', he cruised among the Azores seeking
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 ...
commerce raider
Commerce raiding is a form of naval warfare used to destroy or disrupt logistics of the enemy on the open sea by attacking its merchant shipping, rather than engaging its combatants or enforcing a blockade against them. Privateering is a fo ...
until autumn when he shifted to European waters. At
Ferrol, Spain
Ferrol (, ) is a city in the province of A Coruña in Galicia, Spain, located in the Rías Altas, in the vicinity of Strabo's Cape Nerium (modern-day Cape Prior). According to the 2021 census, the city had a population of 64,785, making it the ...
, Winslow learned that was at
Brest, France
Brest (; ) is a port, port city in the Finistère department, Brittany (administrative region), Brittany. Located in a sheltered bay not far from the western tip of a peninsula and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an impor ...
, undergoing overhaul; he promptly sailed for that port to prevent her from slipping out to sea again. While keeping track of the progress of the repair work on the Southern warship through the U.S. diplomatic and espionage network, he also made runs along the coast of western Europe, checking on rumors of other Confederate raiders in the area. He also rigorously drilled his crew in naval gunnery, which stood them in good stead in the battle to come.
In January 1864, ''Kearsarge'' returned to
Cádiz
Cádiz ( , , ) is a city in Spain and the capital of the Province of Cádiz in the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is located in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula off the Atlantic Ocean separated fr ...
for naval stores and repairs, and while she was away from Brest, ''Florida'' put to sea on 18 February. When ''Kearsarge'' returned and learned that the quarry had escaped, she shifted to
Calais
Calais ( , , traditionally , ) is a French port city in the Pas-de-Calais department, of which it is a subprefecture. Calais is the largest city in Pas-de-Calais. The population of the city proper is 67,544; that of the urban area is 144,6 ...
, France, where was moored. On 12 June, while moored in the
Scheldt
The Scheldt ( ; ; ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of Netherlands, the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding to Old Englis ...
off
Vlissingen
Vlissingen (; ) is a Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality and a city in the southwestern Netherlands on the island of Walcheren. With its strategic location between the Scheldt river and the North Sea, Vlissingen has been an importan ...
(Flushing), Winslow received a telegram informing him that ''Alabama'' was at
Cherbourg
Cherbourg is a former Communes of France, commune and Subprefectures in France, subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French departments of France, department of Manche. It was merged into the com ...
, a French naval port.
Battle with ''Alabama''
Capt. Winslow arrived off Cherbourg 14 June 1864, where he found the ''Alabama'' and blockaded her in the harbor. The ''Alabama'' made preparations for fight, and Capt. Raphael Semmes caused Winslow to be informed of this intention through the U. S. consul. On Sunday, 19 June 1864, he was lying off the eastern entrance of the harbor when the ''Alabama'' came out, escorted by a French iron-clad and the English yacht ''Deerhound''. Winslow steamed off from the shore so as to be beyond the neutral ground, and then steamed toward the ''Alabama''. The armament of the ''Kearsarge'' was seven guns, and that of the ''Alabama'' eight guns, including a 100-pound
Blakely rifle
Blakely rifle or Blakely gun is a series of rifled muzzle-loading cannon designed by British army officer Captain Theophilus Alexander Blakely in the 1850s and 1860s.Hazlett, James C., Edwin Olmstead, and M. Hume Parks. ''Field Artillery Weapons ...
. The ''Kearsarge'' was slightly faster, and had 163 men, while the ''Alabama'' had 149. The ''Kearsarge'' had a definitive advantage over the Confederate ship in that it had a concealed iron chain over its wooden hull, but victory over the ''Alabama'' was not certain.
When Winslow turned to approach, the ''Alabama'' opened fire from a raking position at a distance of one mile at 10:57 a.m. He kept on at full speed, receiving a second broadside and part of a third, when he sheered off and returned the fire from his starboard battery. Both vessels circled around a common centre, and neared each other to within 600 yards. The sides of the ''Alabama'' were torn out by the shells, and at noon, after the action had continued for one hour, she headed for the shore to get into neutral waters, then distant. This exposed her port side, and she could only bring two guns to bear. The ship was filling, and Winslow approached so rapidly that Semmes hauled down his flag. Winslow stopped the ship, but continued to fire, uncertain whether the ''Alabama'' had surrendered.
A white flag was then shown, and Winslow ceased firing. A boat from the ''Alabama'' then came alongside to announce the surrender, and was allowed to go back to bring off the ''Alabama''s officers and crew, but she did not return. The yacht ''Deerhound'' then came up. The ''Deerhound'' picked up 39 persons, including Semmes and fourteen of his officers, after which she went off and sailed to
Southampton
Southampton is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Hampshire, England. It is located approximately southwest of London, west of Portsmouth, and southeast of Salisbury. Southampton had a population of 253, ...
.
The engagement lasted an hour and twenty minutes. After the last shot was fired the ''Alabama'' sank out of sight. She had about 40 killed, and 70 were made prisoners, so that 39 escaped. Only three men were wounded in the ''Kearsarge'', one of whom died. The ''Alabama'' outshot the ''Kearsarge'' two to one. Only 28 projectiles struck the ''Kearsarge'' out of the 370 that were fired by the ''Alabama'', and none of these did any material damage, due to the anchor chains protecting the ''Kearsarge'' hull. One 100-pound shell exploded in the smoke-stack, and one lodged in the stern-post of the ''Kearsarge'', but did not explode. The ''Kearsarge'' fired 173 projectiles, and few failed to do some injury.
Winslow's victory earned him promotion 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 ' ...
, backdated to the day of the battle, and the
Thanks of Congress
The Thanks of Congress is a series of formal resolutions passed by the United States Congress originally to extend the government's formal thanks for significant victories or impressive actions by United States, American military commanders and th ...
.
Later career and legacy
Advanced 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 ...
in 1870, Winslow commanded 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 ...
from that year to 1872. He was always known as a solid, courageous, determined officer. Shortly after his retirement, he died in Boston, and is buried at
Forest Hills Cemetery
Forest Hills Cemetery is a historic rural cemetery, greenspace, arboretum, and sculpture garden in the Forest Hills section of Jamaica Plain, a neighborhood in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. The cemetery was established in 1848 as a pu ...
in
Jamaica Plain
Jamaica Plain is a Neighborhoods in Boston, neighborhood of in Boston, Massachusetts, United States. Settled by Puritans seeking farmland to the south, it was originally part of Roxbury, Massachusetts, Roxbury. The community seceded from Roxbur ...
. His coffin was draped in the ''Kearsarge''s battle flag, and a slab of stone from
Mount Kearsarge in
New Hampshire
New Hampshire ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the Northeastern United States. It borders Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
covers his grave.
Two ships in the United States Navy have been named for him. A third ''Winslow'' honored him and his first cousin once removed, Admiral
Cameron McRae Winslow
Cameron McRae Winslow (July 29, 1854 – January 2, 1932) served in the United States Navy during the Spanish–American War and World War I. He was a son of Commander Francis Winslow (I) (1818–1862), who fought in the Civil War and died of ye ...
(second son of Francis Winslow (I)). New Hampshire's
Winslow State Park
Winslow State Park is a public recreation area located on the northwest slope of Mount Kearsarge in Wilmot, New Hampshire. The state park features a picnic area on an plateau with views of the White Mountains to the north. A foot trail (the ...
, on the north side of Mount Kearsarge, is indirectly named for him.
He was the father of Rear Admiral
Herbert Winslow
Herbert Winslow (September 22, 1848 – September 25, 1914) was a rear admiral in the United States Navy.
Biography
He was born in 1848 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, to future Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow (1811-1873) and Catherine Amelia Winslow ...
(1848-1914).
Dates of rank
*Midshipman - 1 February 1827
*Passed Midshipman - 10 June 1833
*Lieutenant - 9 December 1839
*Commander - 14 September 1855
*Captain - 16 July 1862
*Commodore - 19 June 1864
*Rear Admiral - 2 March 1870
*Died - 29 September 1873
See also
*
Bibliography of early United States naval history
Historical accounts for early U.S. naval history now occur across the spectrum of two and more centuries. This Bibliography lends itself primarily to reliable sources covering early U.S. naval history beginning around the American Revolution pe ...
*
Bibliography of the American Civil War
The bibliography of the American Civil War comprises books that deal in large part with the American Civil War. There are over 60,000 books on the war, with more appearing each month. Authors James Lincoln Collier and Christopher Collier stated in ...
*
List of ships captured in the 19th century
Throughout naval history during times of war, battles, blockades, and other patrol missions would often result in the capture of enemy ships or those of a neutral country. If a ship proved to be a valuable prize, efforts would sometimes be made ...
Sources
*
*
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Winslow, John Ancrum
1811 births
1873 deaths
Union Navy officers
United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War
United States Navy rear admirals (upper half)
People of North Carolina in the American Civil War
People from Wilmington, North Carolina
American people of English descent
American abolitionists