Levin Mynn Powell (April 8, 1798 – January 15, 1885) was a

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 ...

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 ...

. He was known for his service in the

Second Seminole War The Second Seminole War, also known as the Florida War, was a conflict from 1835 to 1842 in Florida between the United States and groups of people collectively known as Seminoles, consisting of Muscogee, Creek and Black Seminoles as well as oth ...

and developing

riverine warfare A river is a natural stream of fresh water that flows on land or inside caves towards another body of water at a lower elevation, such as an ocean, lake, or another river. A river may run dry before reaching the end of its course if it run ...

techniques to fight the

Seminole The Seminole are a Native American people who developed in Florida in the 18th century. Today, they live in Oklahoma and Florida, and comprise three federally recognized tribes: the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, ...

tribe in

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. He also served with the Union Navy in 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 ...

Early life

Levin Mynn Powell was born on April 8, 1798, in

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the northwesternmost Administrative divisions of Virginia#Independent cities, independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia, United States. It is the county seat of Frederick County, Virginia, Frederi ...

, to Sidney (née Thruston) and Alfred Harrison Powell.

Career

Powell joined the

in 1813. On March 1, 1817, Powell was appointed midshipman. He served in 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 ...

for three years and in the China Seas for three years. He was promoted to lieutenant on April 28, 1826, following service 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 ...

and

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 ...

fighting pirates. He then served again in the Mediterranean aboard the schooner USS ''Porpoise''. He was transferred to another ship in the squadron, the frigate USS ''Java'', in 1830. He then served in the sloop USS ''Natchez'' in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, and then moved back to Europe and was stationed off the French coast. From 1836 to 1838, Powell commanded forces and the USRC ''Washington'' during the

and fought with the

in Florida. The

that Powell developed would be used to improve amphibious techniques against the Seminoles. He was engaged at the First Battle of the Loxahatchee on January 15, 1838, sometimes called "Powell's Battle". During the battle, Powell and his troops were ambushed and defeated by Seminole warriors. He was wounded in the battle. From 1840 to 1841, Powell was commanding officer of the

brig A brig is a type of sailing vessel defined by its rig: two masts which are both square rig, square-rigged. Brigs originated in the second half of the 18th century and were a common type of smaller merchant vessel or warship from then until the l ...

USS ''Consort'' and surveyed the coast from the

Appalachicola River The Apalachicola River is a river, approximately long, in the state of Florida. The river's large watershed, known as the Apalachicola, Chattahoochee and Flint (ACF) River Basin, drains an area of approximately into the Gulf of Mexico. The ...

to 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 ...

. In June 1843, Powell was commissioned as commander. From 1848 to 1849, he was Assistant Inspector of Ordnance in Washington, D.C. In July 1849, Powell commanded the sloop-of-war USS ''John Adams''. He was with the ''John Adams'' for one and a half years; sailing to Brazil and the African coast. Powell then served as an executive officer at the

Washington Navy Yard The Washington Navy Yard (WNY) is a ceremonial and administrative center for the United States Navy, located in the federal national capital city of Washington, D.C. (federal District of Columbia). It is the oldest shore establishment / base of ...

for three years. Powell commanded the USS ''Potomac'' and was promoted to captain in September 1855. From 1856 to 1860, Powell was inspector of contract steamers. During the

, Powell commanded the USS ''Potomac'' of the Union Navy, from August 20, 1861, to June 29, 1862. The ''Potomac'' was on blockade duty in the

. He was promoted to commodore in July 1866 and promoted again to

on the retired list in 1869. He did not retire until 1872. Powell served as Inspector of the Third Lighthouse District for four years and was on special service at the department for six years.

Personal life

Powell was married. Powell died on January 15, 1885, at his house in Washington, D.C. He was buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Washington, D.C.

Legacy

Powell left an endowment in his will with the

Columbian University The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a private federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by the United States Congress and is the first un ...

to establish a naval school to "prepare young men...to enter the Naval Academy at Annapolis". The will was disputed due to the belief that Powell was not of sound mind while signing it. The will was sustained. On March 15, 1885, the Admiral Powell Scholarships were established at Columbian University. The riverine warfare techniques that Powell developed in the Second Seminole War would be used more than one hundred years later in the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

by the United States military.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Powell, Levin M. 1798 births 1885 deaths Military personnel from Virginia American military personnel of the Seminole Wars People of Virginia in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy rear admirals Burials at Oak Hill Cemetery (Washington, D.C.)