J.R.M. Mullany-- Part 4: To the End of His Naval Career

He was commissioned commodore 15 August 1870 and was in charge of the Mediterranean Squadron  from October 1870 until November 1871.  From 1872 to 1874, he commanded the Philadelphia Navy Yard.

After receiving his rear admiral's commission 5 June 1874,  he commanded the North Atlantic Squadron until February 1876, during a part of which time he  cooperated efficiently  with General  William H. Emory and General Philip Sheridan, who were successively in command of New Orleans.

He was governor of the Naval Asylum in Philadelphia from 1876 to 1879, when he was retired from active service, and he made, to the close of his life, his home in Philadelphia, dying at one of its summer resorts.

"No government or people," says one who knew him well, "ever had a more gallant and faithful public servant; and he was as modest, as genial, as gentle, and as kind as he was faithful and brave."

--Old B-Runner

Officers of CS Ship Robert Walker-- Part 5: Samuel Phillips Lee

SAMUEL PHILLIPS LEE

The USCSS Robert J. walker's next commander was Samuel Phillips Lee (1812-1897).

He also rose to, positions of prominence in naval rank as a Civil War rear admiral.  H commanded the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron for a long time, during which he became very rich with his cut of the prize money from captured blockade runners.

Also, he commanded the Mississippi Squadron and the postwar North Atlantic  Squadron of the U.S. Navy.

He was born in Virginia and was the grandson of Richard Henry Lee and third cousin to Robert E. Lee.  Even so, he continued to serve in the U.S. Navy.

--Old B-Runner

USS Marblehead-- Part 4: Actions on the Stono River and Four Medals of Honor.

Back on the Stono River with the USS Pawnee by November, the Marblehead provided cover as U.S. Army troops sank piles as obstructions in the river above Legareville, South Carolina, on November 24.  

The next month, on Christmas Day, Confederate batteries, in an attempt to chase the Marblehead and Pawnee away, opened fire.  The Marblehead suffered some twenty hits but was able to capture two of the enemy's eight-inch  seacoast howitzers

Four of her sailors were awarded the Medal of Honor for action in the last action on the Stono River.  They were contraband Robert  Blake, Boatswain's Mate William Farley, Quartermaster  James Miller and Landsman Charles Moore.

On June 2, 1964, the Marblehead became a practice ship for midshipmen at the U.S. Naval Academy located in Newport, Rhode Island.  After just a month, she resumed her blockading duties for five months before returning to the Academy as a practice ship.

After this, she  went to the Washington Navy Yard where the Marblehead was decommissioned  19 September  1866.  Recommissioned  the following month, she was assigned to the North Atlantic Squadron where she operated in the Caribbean for the next two years.

On 18 August 1868, the Marblehead went to New York Navy Yard, was decommissioned  4 September and sold  30 September.

--Old B-Runner

USS Canandaigua-- Part 3: Rescued Crew of USS Housatonic

On February 17, 1864, the Canandaigua rescued 140 survivors of the USS Housatonic after it was sunk by the Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley.

It arrived at Boston Navy Yard on March 26, 1865, and was decommissioned April 8.  Recommissioned after repairs on November 22, it was on European Station until February 1869, then began three years of extensive repairs at New York Navy Yard.

From may 15, 1869 to August 10, it was renamed USS Detroit, but then returned to its original name.

Its last cruise was 1872 to 1875 to the West Indies and Gulf of Mexico as part of the North Atlantic Station.

In 1875, it was decommissioned at Norfolk Navy Yard in Virginia and remained in ordinary until broken up in 1884.

--Old B-R'er

Gustavus H. Scott-- Part 4: Fleet Exercise and Retirement

During the Virginius Affair crisis, the United States had ordered that not only the North Atlantic Squadron sail to Key West, Florida, but also the South Atlantic and European squadrons.  All had arrived by 4 February 1874, but by then the crisis was over.

With all those ships gathered in one point, it was decided to hold the first multi-ship, open-ocean tactical exercise in U.S. Navy history.  To avoid problems with who ranked who, Scott was ordered to take his flagship, the USS Worchester on a special cruise to Cuba and the Winward Islands to assess and report on the conditions after the Virginius Affair.

Scott turned over command of the North Atlantic Squadron to Rear Admiral J.R.M. Mullany on 13 June 1874 and retired the same day, having reached mandatory retirement age of 62.

The admiral lived in Washngton, D.C., after that and died 23 March 1882.  He was first buried at Washington's  Oak Hill Cemetery, but in 1896, his remains were exhumed and reburied at Arlington National Cemetery.

--Old B-R'er

Gustavus H. Scott-- Part 3: Postwar Command

Member of the examining board for the admission of volunteer officers to the regular Navy in 1868.  Promoted to commodore 10 February 1869.  Lighthouse inspector 1869-1871.  Promoted to rear admiral 14 February 1873 and given command of the North Atlantic Squadron in May of that year.

He was in command of the North Atlantic Squadron when the Virginius Affair took place in Cuba in November 1873.  The A Spanish warship captured the American sidewheeler SS Virginius which had been hired by Cuban insurrectionists against Spanish rule to bring men and war material to Cuba during the Ten Years' War.

The ship and crew were brought to Santiago de Cuba where they were found guilty of piracy and sentenced to death by firing squad.  Fifty-three were executed before British and American warships arrived and threatened to bombard unless the executions ceased.  They did.

--Old B-Runner