Samuel Mercer (1799 – March 6, 1862) was an American 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 ...

who commanded the 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 and the 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 ...

Early life

Mercer was born in 1799 in Maryland. On March 4, 1815, he received a midshipman's warrant in the United States Navy. He received a promotion to lieutenant on January 13, 1825 and to commander on September 8, 1841.

Mexican–American War

He commanded 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 ...

as tensions escalated 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 ...

prior to the Mexican-American War. He and his crew spent the next year cruising along the Gulf Coast, providing security to American shipping in the region and helping suppress piracy. After war broke out April 25, 1846, they cruised on a blockade station off the Mexican coast, remaining there until June 17. He was promoted to captain on September 14, 1855.

Civil War

Mercer commanded the and was ordered on April 5, 1861 by the Secretary of the Navy,

Gideon Welles Gideon Welles (July 1, 1802 – February 11, 1878) was an American government official who was the United States Secretary of the Navy from 1861 to 1869, a cabinet post he was awarded after supporting Abraham Lincoln in the 1860 election. Althou ...

, to provision

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a historical Coastal defense and fortification#Sea forts, sea fort located near Charleston, South Carolina. Constructed on an artificial island at the entrance of Charleston Harbor in 1829, the fort was built in response to the W ...

Charleston Harbor The Charleston Harbor is an inlet (8 sq mi/20.7 km2) of the Atlantic Ocean at Charleston, South Carolina. The inlet is formed by the junction of Ashley River (South Carolina), Ashley and Cooper River (South Carolina), Cooper rivers at . Morr ...

, South Carolina as the squadron commander of the '' USS Pawnee'', '' USS Pocahontas'' and the '' USRC Harriet Lane'' under

Gustavus Fox Gustavus Vasa Fox (June 13, 1821 – October 29, 1883) was an officer of the United States Navy, who served during the Mexican–American War, and as the first Assistant Secretary of the Navy during the Civil War. Life and career Fox was born at ...

. However, on April 6, President Lincoln overrode the order, placed Lieutenant

David Dixon Porter David Dixon Porter (June 8, 1813 – February 13, 1891) was a United States Navy admiral (United States), 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 ...

in command of the ''Powhatan'' and ordered him to reinforce

Fort Pickens Fort Pickens is a historic pentagonal United States military fort on Santa Rosa Island in the Pensacola, Florida, area. It is named after American Revolutionary War hero Andrew Pickens. It is the largest of four forts built to defend Pensacol ...

Pensacola, Florida Pensacola ( ) is a city in the Florida panhandle in the United States. It is the county seat and only incorporated city, city in Escambia County, Florida, Escambia County. The population was 54,312 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. ...

instead. A telegram reversing the order and returning command to Mercer was issued, however the ''Powhatan'' was already under way and Porter ignored the order and continued to Pensacola. On 16 May 1861 Mercer took command of the newly recommissioned as the flagship of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron under rear admiral Silas H. Stringham. Under Mercer's command, the Wabash captured the brigantine ''Sarah Starr'' in the waters near Charleston, South Carolina on August 3, 1861. He recaptured the American schooner ''Mary Alice'' which had been captured by the ''CSS Dixie''. He also captured the brigantines ''Hannah'', ''Balch'' and ''Solferino'' and took 22 Confederate sailors as prisoners. Mercer led the ''Wabash'' during the

Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries The Battle of Hatteras Inlet Batteries (August 28–29, 1861) was the first combined operation of the Union Army and Navy in the American Civil War, resulting in Union domination of the strategically important North Carolina Sounds. Two forts o ...

. In October, 1861, the ''Wabash'' returned to port for repairs. Samuel Mercer gravestone

Mercer was relieved from active command due to age, and served on the Navy Retiring Board until his death in Philadelphia on March 6, 1862. He was interred at

Laurel Hill Cemetery Laurel Hill Cemetery, also called Laurel Hill East to distinguish it from the affiliated West Laurel Hill Cemetery in Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania, Bala Cynwyd, is a historic rural cemetery in the East Falls, Philadelphia, East Falls neighborhood ...

in Philadelphia.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mercer, Samuel 1799 births 1862 deaths Burials at Laurel Hill Cemetery (Philadelphia) Military personnel from Philadelphia People of Maryland in the American Civil War People of Pennsylvania in the American Civil War Union Navy officers United States Navy officers United States Navy personnel of the Mexican–American War