Union Flag-Officer Garrett J. Pendergrast, USN-- Part 1

From Wikipedia.

Born Dec. 5, 1812, Died Nov. 7, 1862.  Became a midshipman in US Navy in 1812 (age ten) and fought in the War of 1812.  Uncle of Austin Pendergrast, who took command of the USS Congress after it sank in the battle with the CSS Virginia and later commanded the USS Water Witch when it was captured by the Confederates.  I wrote a lot about the Water Witch in my Saw the Elephant Civil War blog.

Garret Pendergrast commanded the USS Boston during the Mexican War and was commanding officer at the commissioning of the USS Merrimack Feb. 20, 1856.  The Merrimack later became the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia.

At the onset of the war, Pendergrast commanded the USS Cumberland (later attacked by the Virginia in 1862.  Kind of an interconnected story.

Starting April 24, 1861, the Cumberland and a support ship began seizing Confederate ships and privateers of Fort Monroe in the Chesapeake Bay and in short time had captured 16 ships.

I Had Never Heard of Him.  --Old B-R'er