Garrett Jesse Pendergrast | |
|---|---|
 Commodore Garrett J. Pendergrast, studio portrait by Mathew Brady | |
| Born | (1802-12-05)December 5, 1802 Kentucky, U.S. |
| Died | November 7, 1862(1862-11-07) (aged 59) |
| Buried | Laurel Hill Cemetery Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Allegiance | United States |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Service years | 1812–1862 |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Commands | |
| Conflicts | War of 1812 Capture of the sloopAnne Mexican–American War American Civil War |
CommodoreGarrett Jesse Pendergrast (December 5, 1802 – November 7, 1862) was an American naval officer who served in theUnited States Navy during theWar of 1812 and as part of theBrazil Squadron andHome Squadron. He served in theUnion Navy during theAmerican Civil War. He commanded theUSS Cumberland during the loss of theGosport Navy Yard inNorfolk, Virginia toConfederate forces and captured 16 Confederate ships in the early stages of theUnion blockade. He served as commander of thePhiladelphia Navy Yard from October 1861 until his death in November 1862.
Pendergrast was born on December 5, 1802, in Kentucky.[1] He entered the United States Navy as amidshipman on January 1, 1812, and served during theWar of 1812.[2] He was promoted tolieutenant on March 3, 1821.[3]
In March, 1825, he participated in thecapture of the sloop Anna. Pendergrast was one of twenty-six sailors ordered byJohn D. Sloat to pursue the pirateRoberto Cofresi and force his ship aground in Puerto Rico, which led to his capture.[4]
He was promoted tocommander on September 8, 1841.[3] On October 27, 1843, he recommissioned the sloopBoston at Boston and sailed to the South Atlantic to join theBrazil Squadron. He returned to theNew York Navy Yard in February 1846.[5]
As part of the Home Squadron, he commanded the steam sloopUSS Saranac in 1852 and the sailing frigateUSS Columbia from 1853 to 1854.[2][6]
Promoted to Captain on May 24, 1855,[3] he commissioned the frigateMerrimack on February 20, 1856.[7][8] He voyaged to the Caribbean and Western Europe in 1856 and 1857. He returned to Boston and theMerrimack was repaired and redeployed to the Pacific Squadron from 1857 to 1859.[9]
On September 24, 1860, Pendergrast sailed from Philadelphia aboard the sloopPawnee in order to assume command of theHome Squadron, then operating off the coast of Mexico.[10]
At the outbreak of the American Civil War in 1861, Pendergrast was in command of the frigateCumberland at anchor near theGosport Navy Yard awaiting repairs. The Secretary of the Navy,Gideon Welles, ordered Pendergrast to remain in the Hampton Roads area to protect Gosport Navy Yard andFort Monroe.[11][12] Pendergrast positioned theCumberland off the harbor to either defend it or protect the escape of Federal ships.[13] Most of the blame for the loss of the Gosport Navy Yard fell toCharles Stewart McCauley although some of it was also placed on Pendergrast who controlled the Federal fleet on the Atlantic coast.[14]
At the age of 58, Pendergrast was one of the oldest officers in service. On April 24, 1861, Pendergrast and theCumberland, accompanied by a small flotilla of support ships, seized Confederate ships and privateers in the vicinity ofFort Monroe off the Virginia coastline. Within the next two weeks, Pendergrast had captured 16 enemy vessels,[15] which showed that theUnion blockade could be effective.[16]
He was promoted tocommodore on July 16, 1862.[3] In October 1861,[17] Pendergrast was assigned to command thePhiladelphia Navy Yard.[18] He suffered astroke on November 3, 1862, and died on November 7, 1862.[1] He was interred atLaurel Hill Cemetery inPhiladelphia.[19]
At the age of 24, he married Susan Virginia Barron, daughter of CommodoreJames Barron.[2] Upon theSecession, she reportedly refused to accompany her husband in his allegiance to the United States and swore she would never live with him again.[16]
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