Arthur Sinclair II | |
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| Born | (1780-02-28)February 28, 1780 Mecklenburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | February 7, 1831(1831-02-07) (aged 50) Norfolk, Virginia, U.S. |
| Branch | United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1796 - 1831 |
| Rank | Commodore |
| Unit | USS Constellation USS Essex |
| Commands | USS Argus USS General Pike USS Niagara USS Congress USS Washington Norfolk Navy Yard |
| Battles / wars | Quasi-War First Barbary War War of 1812 |
| Awards | Presented an engraved sword from the Commonwealth of Virginia for valorous engagements on Lake Erie during the War of 1812 |
| Relations | Upton Sinclair,Mustin family |
CommodoreArthur Sinclair (28 February 1780 – 7 February 1831) was aUnited States Navy officer who served in during theQuasi-War, theFirst Barbary War and theWar of 1812. His three sons also served in the Navy; they resigned in 1861, however, to serve in theConfederate States Navy.
Born inVirginia, the youngest son of Arthur Sinclair I who had served in theRoyal Navy during theWar of Jenkins' Ear and theContinental Navy during theAmerican Revolution, Sinclair entered the Navy asMidshipman in 1798. He served as Midshipman inConstellation during the capture of the French frigateL'Insurgente on 9 February 1799. He was attached to theMediterranean Squadron from June 1804 to July 1806, participating in the attacks onTripoli on boardEssex. He then sailedGunboat No. 10 to the United States.
On 10 June 1807 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant. On 13 December 1811, he was ordered to the command ofArgus; and, between 12 October and 17 December 1812, cruised inArgus with theNorth Atlantic Squadron and took a number of prizes. During the cruise, he became separated from the squadron and was chased for three days and nights by an enemy squadron before his superior ship handling enabled him to escape.
For much of the War of 1812, Sinclair was assigned to theGreat Lakes as part of CommodoreIsaac Chauncey's squadron, where he commanded the warshipGeneral Pike in an engagement onLake Ontario on 28 September 1813. For his valor during another engagement onLake Erie in 1813, Sinclair received a presentation sword from theCommonwealth of Virginia (now in theVirginia Historical Society's collection). In 1814, he commandedNiagara onLake Huron andLake Superior and directed the naval squadron in theBattle of Mackinac Island and theEngagement on Lake Huron. Sinclair conducted a hit-and-run raid atSt. Marys River,Upper Canada, capturing a small merchantman, theMink. After capturing the merchantman in the raid, Arthur Sinclair withdrew back to American lines inMichilimackinac.[1]
In extension of his raid at St. Marys River. Sinclair sentDaniel Turner with a detachment of seamen alongside regulars underAndrew Holmes to penetrate deeper into enemy territory. Turner destroyed buildings, possessions, and burned a schooner. Turner withdrew back to American territory in Michilimackinac, reuniting with Sinclair.[2]
On July 12, 1814. Arthur Sinclair commanding 5 vessels transported 550 American regulars and 250 militia led by Lt. ColonelGeorge Croghan who was the hero ofFort Stephenson. Sinclair sailed his force toSt. Joseph Island where the British abandoned their outpost. Sinclair landed the American infantry force, and the Americans found a British vessel that had been set on fire by the British who evacuated. The Americans put the fire out to salvage the ship. But after examining the ship, the Americans restarted the fire and destroyed the ship. The Americans also burned the empty British post and also burned down theCanadian Northwest Company trading post. Then the Americans boarded the ships of Sinclair's fleet and departed to their next objective.[3]
On August 4, 1814. Arthur Sinclair moved his fleet toMackinac Island that was under British occupation. The objective of the American fleet was to retake Mackinac Island. Sinclair steered his fleet to Mackinac. Sinclair lands the American infantry on the rear of the British post on the island. Lt. ColGeorge Croghan advanced with his regulars and militia. But the British had set a position to resist the American advance. Croghan's regulars were ambushed by Indians allied to the British. The Americans engaged the British-Indian force. The Americans suffered 13 killed and 52 wounded. The British-Indian forces suffered maybe 1 killed and 1 wounded. The Americans gave up their objective after suffering heavy casualties and retreated to the ships of Sinclair's fleet. Arthur Sinclair's fleet withdrew from the Island.[4]
Arthur Sinclair steered his fleet toraid Nottawasaga. On August 13, 1814, Sinclair sent his two vessels Lawrence and Caledonia back toDetroit. Then Sinclair moved on with his 3 remaining vesselsNiagara,Scorpion andTigress to Nottawasaga to attack a British outpost. Sinclair arrived at the location and landed infantry troops with artillery. The American land artillery and Sinclair's cannons on his ships bombarded the British blockhouse. The British sailors and militia realizing they could not hold off the American assault any longer burned their schoonerNancy and blew up their blockhouse before retreating suffering 1 killed and 1 wounded. The Americans recovered the guns in the destroyed blockhouse and placed them on their ships. The American then felled trees across the river to block it. Sinclair left two gunboats to blockade the area under the command of Lieutenant Daniel Turner. Sinclair instructed Turner to intercept any British supply shipping and then return to Detroit when the weather turned bad. Arthur Sinclair withdrew back to Detroit in his vesselNiagara with the three newly captured British guns. Daniel Turner patrolled the area with his two gunboats. But the British sailors, militia, and Native American allies under Miller Worsley removed the tree abatis obstacles and stealthily snuck on the American gunboats and ambushed them. The Americans under Daniel Turner were all captured suffering 6 killed and 6 wounded. The victorious British suffered 3 killed and 9 wounded.[5][6]
Promoted to Captain in 1813, he commanded the frigateCongress in 1817; commanded the 74-gun ship of the lineWashington in 1818. In 1819, he rose to the rank of Commodore and was placed in command of theNorfolk Navy Yard. It was while there, that he conceived the idea of a Nautical School and was allowed to set one up on board the frigateGuerriere, for the education and development of young naval officers. It was from that small start that the currentU.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis has grown.[7]
Commodore Sinclair died atNorfolk, Virginia on 7 February 1831.
The family originated from the Shetland Islands off Scotland and were reputedly distant relations of Scottish royalty. The first Arthur Sinclair, ofScalloway, inShetland, sailed withCommodore George Anson in 1740, on a mission to capture Spanish possessions in the Pacific, during Britain's war with Spain. The mission lasted for four years and resulted in the little fleetcircumnavigating the world. Loss of life was horrendous, with only 188 of the original 1,854 men surviving to make it back to England.[7]
Arthur Sinclair I left the expedition when they reached America and eventually settled inNorfolk, Virginia, where he made claim to a large tract of land, and became a sea captain sailing between Virginia and England. After the death of his first wife he married Susanna Phillips ofHalifax County, inMiddlesex County on 22 February 1766 at the age of 59. Their son, Arthur II, was born in 1780. During theWar of American Independence (1775-1783) Sinclair served in theContinental Navy, fighting against his old countrymen.[7] He retired toCobham in Surry County where he died in 1791 at age 84.
Arthur Sinclair II married first, Elizabeth, daughter of GeneralJohn Hartwell Cocke, of Mt Pleasant, in Surry County. They had two children, twins, Robert Carter Nicholas d 1806 and Augusta (died 3 weeks after birth) Mar 1802. These children died young and their mother died in 1803.
Arthur Sinclair II married second on 20 Jan 1810 inHalifax County, Sarah (Sally) Short Skipwith Kennon (30 Oct 1790 - 21 August 1827), daughter of Colonel Richard Kennon of Conjurer's Neck,Chesterfield County.
Arthur and Sally had seven children:
1. Arthur Sinclair (29 Nov 1810 - 14 Jan 1865), Commander USN, CSN, served on theCSS Alabama, married, 20 Apr 1835, Lelia Imogene Dawley of Norfolk.
2. Elizabeth Beverly Sinclair Whittle (26 Jul 1812 - 1855), married Captain William Conway Whittle, USN, CSN
3. Richard Kennon Sinclair (8 Nov 1814-7 Jul 1815)
4. George Tarry Sinclair (29 Sep 1816 - 25 Jul 1885) LT USN, CSN 2 May 1843, Mary Thompson (5 Jan 1825 - 6 Nov 1888)
5. Dr. William Beverly Sinclair (22 Jan 1818 - 27 Sep 1895), surgeon, USN, CSN, a prominent physician, married 11 Nov 1844, Lucy Franklin Read Jones
6. Sarah Sinclair (22 Jul 1820), died in infancy
7. Gilberta Fayette Sinclair (19 Oct 1824 - 27 Apr 1906), married Dr. Conway Davies Whittle, of Norfolk.
Arthur Sinclair II was the great-grandfather of novelistUpton Sinclair, author of the novelThe Jungle (1906). He was also the second great-grandfather of Vice AdmiralLloyd M. Mustin and third great-grandfather of Vice AdmiralHenry C. "Hank" Mustin and the fourth great-grandfather of Vice AdmiralJohn Mustin.
The destroyerUSSSinclair (DD-275) was named for him.
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.| International | |
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