Rear Admiral Silas Horton Stringham (November 7, 1798 – February 7, 1876) was an officer of 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 ...

who saw active service during the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

, the

Second Barbary War The Second Barbary War (1815) or the U.S.–Algerian War was fought between the United States and the North African Barbary Coast states of Tripoli, Tunis, and Algiers. The war ended when the United States Senate ratified Commodore Stephen De ...

, and the

Mexican–American War The Mexican–American War, also known in the United States as the Mexican War and in Mexico as the (''United States intervention in Mexico''), was an armed conflict between the United States and Mexico from 1846 to 1848. It followed the 1 ...

, and who commanded the Atlantic Blockading Squadron at the beginning of 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 states th ...

. Born in Middletown, New York, Stringham entered the Navy on November 15, 1809, aged only 11 years old, receiving promotion to the rank of

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 Afr ...

on June 19, 1810 while serving under Captain John Rodgers in the frigate . He was present during the ''Little Belt'' affair in May 1811, and during the engagement with on June 23, 1812. Having received his commission as a

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 sub ...

on December 9, 1814, he was assigned to the brig , Captain Thomas Gamble, which was part of

Stephen Decatur Stephen Decatur Jr. (; January 5, 1779 – March 22, 1820) was an American naval officer and commodore. He was born on the eastern shore of Maryland in Worcester County. His father, Stephen Decatur Sr., was a commodore in the Unite ...

's squadron in the Barbary Wars, and helped to take an Algerine frigate. In early 1816, while ''Spark'' was at

Gibraltar ) , anthem = " God Save the King" , song = " Gibraltar Anthem" , image_map = Gibraltar location in Europe.svg , map_alt = Location of Gibraltar in Europe , map_caption = United Kingdom shown in pale green , mapsize = , image_map2 = Gib ...

, a French brig, attempting to enter the bay in a heavy gale, capsized. Stringham and six seamen in a small boat, pulled over to the brig, and rescued five of the crew. He attempted to return to ''Spark'', but could make no headway, so turned and pulled for the Algerian shore, but was wrecked in the heavy surf, with one of his crew and two of the Frenchmen drowned. In 1819 Stringham was serving aboard the , conveying black settlers to

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

. While ''Cyane'' was off the African coast. Captain Edward Trenchard gave Stringham command of a boat in the capturing of four slavers. Trenchard then appointed Stingham prize-master and sent him home with them. In 1821 Stringham was appointed

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

of the brig in the West Indies Squadron, and from 1825 to 1829 served at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. In late 1829 he was appointed First Lieutenant of the to take part in the search for his former ship ''Hornet'', believed lost. During the search he was transferred to the sloop , and sent to Cartagena, finally returning to New York in 1830. Stringham was promoted to

commander Commander (commonly abbreviated as Cmdr.) is a common naval officer rank. Commander is also used as a rank or title in other formal organizations, including several police forces. In several countries this naval rank is termed frigate captain. ...

on March 3, 1831, and for the next five years was engaged on shore duty. In 1836-37 he served in the Mediterranean Squadron commanding the , then returned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard. Receiving promotion to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...

in 1841, he commanded the

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in the Home Squadron in 1843, then returned to the Brooklyn Navy Yard, serving as commandant in 1845–46. In late 1846 he was placed in command of the

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, and during the

took part in the bombardment of

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as it was besieged by troops under General

Winfield Scott Winfield Scott (June 13, 1786May 29, 1866) was an American military commander and political candidate. He served as a general in the United States Army from 1814 to 1861, taking part in the War of 1812, the Mexican–American War, the early s ...

. For a short time afterwards he commanded the

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, but in 1851 took charge of the

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. Between 1852 and 1855 he commanded the Mediterranean Squadron, his flagship being the frigate . He then returned to Gosport, where he remained till 1859. On the outbreak of the

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in April 1861, he was appointed Flag officer of the Atlantic Blockading Squadron. In August he was sent with troops under General Benjamin F. Butler, to capture two coastal forts near Cape Hatteras. In the ensuing battle, the fortifications were captured without loss, though not without some difficulty owing to the weather, and the fleet returned to Fort Monroe to general acclaim. However this soon give way to criticism of Stringham for not taking his ships closer in, and continuing to attack along the coast. The fact that his ships drew too much water to enter the shallow coastal waters, and that he had been directly ordered to return immediately, eventually emerged, but apparently too late to soothe his irritation, as the next month, at his own request, he was relieved of his command. As some small compensation on August 1, 1862 he was promoted to the rank of

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on the retired list. Though no longer on active duty, Stringham served as commandant of the Boston Navy Yard, 1864–66, and as port admiral of New York in 1870. Rear Admiral Stringham died in

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, and was buried at Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn. Two Navy ships have been named in his honor.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Stringham, Silas Horton 1798 births 1876 deaths Burials at Green-Wood Cemetery United States Navy admirals Union Navy admirals People of New York (state) in the American Civil War People from Middletown, Orange County, New York

See also

References

External links