Napoleon B. Harrison

Napoleon Bonaparte Harrison
Napoleon Bonaparte Harrison
Born	February 19, 1823; Martinsburg, West Virginia
Died	October 27, 1870 (aged 47); Key West, Florida
Allegiance	United States of America
Service/branch	United States Navy
Years of service	1838–1870
Rank	Captain
Commands	USS Cayuga; USS Mahaska; USS Minnesota; USS Congress;
Battles/wars	Mexican–American War; American Civil War;

Napoleon Bonaparte Harrison (19 February 1823 – 27 October 1870) was an officer of the United States Navy who served during the Mexican-American and Civil War.^[1]

Biography

Harrison was born in Martinsburg, Virginia (now West Virginia), and was appointed a midshipman on February 26, 1838,^[1] and received promotion to passed midshipman on May 20, 1844.^[2]

Serving in California during the Mexican War in Portsmouth, he was a volunteer in the expedition to rescue General Philip Kearny's command, and spent five days en route from San Francisco to Monterey in a small boat carrying despatches.^[1]

He was promoted to master on April 2, 1852, and then to lieutenant on January 6, 1853.^[2]

In April 1862 Harrison commanded the gunboat Cayuga at the passage of Forts Jackson and St. Philip, leading the battle line past the forts and up the Mississippi River to New Orleans.^[1] Harrison was promoted to commander on July 16, 1862.^[2] He later commanded the gunboat Mahaska in the James River Flotilla, the frigate Minnesota in the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron, and various ships in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron. After the fall of Charleston in 1865 Harrison served at the Portsmouth Navy Yard, Kittery, Maine.^[1]

Following the Civil War, he taught at the Naval Academy.^[1] He was promoted to captain on April 28, 1868,^[2] and served as Commandant of Midshipmen in 1868-1870, before taking command of his last ship, the sloop Congress.^[1]

Captain Harrison died 27 October 1870 at Key West, Florida.^[1]

Nameksake

In 1943, the destroyer USS Harrison (DD-573) was named in his honor.^[1]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "USS Harrison (II)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 10 August 2013.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "US Navy Officers: 1778-1900 (H)". history.navy.mil. 2006. Retrieved 10 August 2013.

This article incorporates text from the public domain Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be found here.

This article about a person of the American Civil War is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

[DANFS-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ "USS Harrison (II)". Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. Navy Department, Naval History and Heritage Command. Retrieved 10 August 2013.

[callahan-2] "US Navy Officers: 1778-1900 (H)". history.navy.mil. 2006. Retrieved 10 August 2013.

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