Monday, May 24, 2021

USCSS Walker Officers- Pt. 5: Benjamin Franklin Sands-- Part 1

The next commanding officer of the Walker after Lee was Benjamin Franklin  Sands (1811-1883).  he commanded the Walker longer than anyone.

Sands' autobiography says he took command in 1851 in Mobile, Alabama, and commenced   surveys along the Gulf Coast between Pensacola and the mouth of the Mississippi River.  After that, he took the Walker to Hampton Roads, Virginia, and then to Baltimore , where the ship was laid up.

He and his crew then continued working the local waters in two smaller  coastal schooners.

When the Walker was put back into commission in December 1852,  Sands took the steamer back to the Gulf of Mexico, where he continued command  through 1857.

--Old B-Runner


No comments:

Post a Comment