Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright II (July 27, 1821 – January 1, 1863) was an officer in the

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 ...

during 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 state ...

, who was killed in action during the

Battle of Galveston The Battle of Galveston was a naval and land battle of the American Civil War, when Confederate forces under Major Gen. John B. Magruder expelled occupying Union troops from the city of Galveston, Texas on January 1, 1863. After the loss of ...

Early life

Wainwright was born on July 27, 1821, in

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to Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright I (1792–1854) and Amelia Maria Phelps. His father, an Episcopal bishop, served as the fifth Bishop of New York, from 1852 to 1854, who was instrumental in the founding of

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, ...

. His paternal grandparents were Peter Wainwright and Elizabeth Mayhew. He was a cousin of naval officer Richard Wainwright.

Career

He entered the

on June 30, 1837, at age 16, as a

midshipman A midshipman is an officer of the lowest rank, in the Royal Navy, United States Navy, and many Commonwealth navies. Commonwealth countries which use the rank include Canada (Naval Cadet), Australia, Bangladesh, Namibia, New Zealand, South Af ...

. He attended the

Philadelphia Naval Asylum The Philadelphia Naval Asylum is a complex of buildings at Gray's Ferry Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Built in 1827 as a hospital, it later housed the Philadelphia Naval School, served as a home for retired sailors for the United States ...

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, from 1842 to 1843, and 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 vacan ...

on June 29, 1843. He was appointed acting- master, November 10, 1849, and commissioned

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often ...

, September 17, 1850. He was on special duty in

Washington, DC ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

in 1861. He commanded the , Admiral

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral and a member of one of the most distinguished families in the history of the U.S. Navy. Promoted as the second U.S. Navy officer ever to attain the rank o ...

flagship A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of 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 the f ...

in Farragut's fleet, in the

Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip The Battle of Forts Jackson and St. Philip (April 18–28, 1862) was the decisive battle for possession of New Orleans in the American Civil War. The two Confederate forts on the Mississippi River south of the city were attacked by a Union Nav ...

, and took part in operations below Vicksburg. He was killed in action when his ship was attacked and captured by Confederate forces under the command of General John Bankhead Magruder during the

on January 1, 1863. He was reportedly personally killed by Confederate naval commander Leon Smith, and a valuable signal book was taken from his corpse.Day, James M. (1965) "Leon Smith: Confederate Mariner," East Texas Historical Journal: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 7.
/ref> - Registration required, accessed on 25 October 2017

Personal life

On February 8, 1844, he married Maria Byrd Page in Virginia. She was the daughter of Robert Powell Page (1794–1849), himself a grandson of the

Governor of Virginia The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022. Oath of office On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...

John Page, and Mary Francis, the daughter of Thomas Willing Francis of Philadelphia. After her mother's death, her father remarried to Susan Grymes, daughter of Archie Randolph. Together, they had four children: * Elizabeth "Lizzie" Wainwright (died 1883), who married John Page Burwell in 1875. * Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright III (died 1870), a Lt. in the U.S. Navy who was killed by pirates on the Pacific coast. * Robert Powell Page Wainwright, a Lt. of Cavalry who married Josepha Sewell. * Maria Wainwright (born 1855), who married Henry Slaughter in 1873. She later married Louis James and attained some reputation as an actress going by the name "Fannie Louise Buckingham."

Legacy

His grandson, Jonathan Mayhew Wainwright IV (1883–1953), was a general during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

Honors

Three ships have been named for Jonathan and some of his relatives.

References

;Notes ;Sources * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Wainwright, Jonathan Mayhew 1821 births 1863 deaths

Jonathan Mayhew Jonathan Mayhew (October 8, 1720 – July 9, 1766) was a noted American Congregational minister at Old West Church, Boston, Massachusetts. Early life Mayhew was born at Martha's Vineyard, being fifth in descent from Thomas Mayhew (1592– ...

United States Navy officers Union Navy officers People of New York (state) in the American Civil War Union military personnel killed in the American Civil War American people of English descent