Rear Admiral Andrew Hull Foote-- Part 1: No Grog For You!!

From Wikipedia.

September 12, 1806 to June 26, 1863.

As a child was not a good student but showed interest in going to sea.  His father had him appointed to the USMA at West Point, but after just six months, he left and became a midshipman in the U.S. Navy.

From 1822 to 1843, he served in the Caribbean, Pacific Ocean and the Mediterranean.

Served on the USS Grumpus and while on the USS John Adams, circumnavigated the globe.  While on the USS Cumberland, he started a temperance group and became a big reason why the daily grog ration ceased in the U.S. Navy,

--Old B-Runner

Why It Takes So Long to Do This Blog

The last several posts of yesterday all had their origins in my War of 1812 blog. The USS John Adams was a "subscription" ship built to help the U.S. Navy in the Quasi War with France. Most of these these "subscription" ships were sold in 1801 and two were destroyed at Washington Navy Yard in 1814 during the burning of Washington, DC.

However, the John Adams (not to be confused with the USS Adams), went on to serve in all the wars to the end of the Civil War.

While doing research on the John Adams, I found out that one of its crew, Oliver O'Brien, had won a Medal of Honor for his service in capturing and destroying a blockade-runner. I had to do some research on him. I later found out that that ship was the Beatrice. I found mention of this ship, but no definite information on it or report of the incident in the ORN.

But, I did find out a whole lot more on blockade-runners in general from newspaper reports in the New York Times and Liverpool Journal from the time, and, had to write that down for future blog entries.

No Wonder It Takes So Long. --Old B-Runner

Oliver O'Brien, Medal of Honor Winner

In the last post, I mentioned this man from the USS John Adams (classified as a sloop at the time) as receiving a Congressional Medal of Honor for his role in the capture of a blockade-runner at Charleston, SC.

Further research in Wikipedia.

Oliver O'Brien (1839-Oct. 1, 1894)   Born in Boston and enlisted in the Navy from there. On November 28, 1864, while serving on the USS John Adams was involved in the capture of the blockade runner Beatrice off Sullivan's Island, Charleston, SC.

O'Brien commanded a launch which approached and boarded the ship despite heavy fire from nearby Fort Moultrie. He and his crew confiscated items and set fire to the ship and returned to the John Adams.

It didn't take long to receive his Medal of Honor, which was issued December 31, 1864. He is buried at Oak Hill Cemetery in Glouchester, Massachusetts.

---Old B-Runer

USS John Adams-- Part 2: Service In the Civil War

It arrived back in the United States January 1862, carrying letters for President Lincoln from the King of Siam along with a presentation sword and a pair of ivory tusks.

It was sent to Newport, Rhode Island, the wartime location of the US Naval Academy and served as a training ship for midshipmen. In the summer of 1863, it joined the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron and took station off Morris Island inside the Charleston Bar where it served as flagship of the inner blockade line.

The John Adams sailed into Charleston Harbor after the evacuation of the city by Confederate forces in February 1865.

One of the ship's crewmembers, Coxswain Oliver O'Brien, won the Medal of Honor in 1864 for his service capturing a blockade-runner. Another crewmember, Pierre d'Orleans, was a member of the French royal family.

--Old B-Runner

USS John Adams-- Part 1: Veteran of Six Wars

In my War of 1812 blog, I recently wrote about the USS John Adams which participated in that war and was still around and served during the Civil War.

From Wikipedia.

The John Adams was built by subscription by the people of Charleston, SC (as it turns out, they were probably not too happy about it later) in 1799 as a 30 gun frigate. In 1809, it was converted to a corvette and in 1830 back to a frigate.

It fought in the Quasi War with France both 1st and 2nd Barbary Wars, the War of 1812, Mexican War and finally the Civil War.

Quite a remarkable service record.

When the Civil War broke out, the USS John Adams was in Asia.

-- Old B-Runner