John Drake Sloat | |
|---|---|
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| 1st Military Governor of California | |
| In office July 7 – 29, 1846 | |
| Preceded by | Pío Pico (civil governor) |
| Succeeded by | Robert F. Stockton |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1781-07-26)July 26, 1781 Sloatsburg, New York, U.S. |
| Died | November 28, 1867(1867-11-28) (aged 86) New Brighton, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Green-Wood Cemetery,New York City |
| Awards | Sloat The Sloat Monument in Monterey was built in his honor. Sloat Blvd in San Francisco. |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States of America |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Years of service | 1800–1861 |
| Rank |  Commodore Rear Admiral |
| Unit | United States |
| Commands | Grampus St. Louis Pacific Squadron |
| Battles/wars | War of 1812 Capture of the sloopAnne Mexican–American War |
John Drake Sloat (July 26, 1781[1][2] – November 28, 1867) was acommodore in theUnited States Navy who, in 1846, claimedCalifornia for theUnited States.
He was born at the family home ofSloat House inSloatsburg, New York, of Dutch ancestry. He was orphaned at an early age, his father, Captain John Sloat, having been mistakenly shot and killed by one of his sentries two months before he was born,[3] and his mother dying a few years later.
Appointedmidshipman in the Navy in 1800, he wassailing master of thefrigateUnited States under CommodoreStephen Decatur during theWar of 1812, and was promoted to lieutenant for conspicuous gallantry in the capture of the frigateHMS Macedonian. Sloat then commanded theschoonerGrampus during which he fought theMarch 1825 naval campaign against the pirate ship ofRoberto Cofresí. He later served on theshipsFranklin andWashington, and from 1828 commanded thesloopSt. Louis with the rank ofmaster commandant, to which he had been promoted in 1826. He was promoted tocaptain in 1837, and from 1840 to 1844 was in charge of thePortsmouth Navy Yard.[4]
In 1844 Sloat was appointed to command thePacific Squadron, and in 1845, as tensions withMexico grew, he was instructed to land inAlta California and claim it for the United States if war broke out. Receiving a report of fighting on theTexas border while offMazatlán, he raced north (the British were reportedly interested in California too), engaged in a skirmish called theBattle of Monterey, raised the flag over the Customs House atMonterey on July 7, 1846, and issued a proclamation announcing that California was now part of the United States. He was amilitary Governor of California for only twenty-two days, before handing over the office toRobert F. Stockton.[5]
Later, his poor health forced Sloat to take commands ashore, where he commanded theNorfolk Navy Yard 1847–1851,[6] directed the construction of theStevens Battery in 1855, and helped plan theMare Island Navy Yard. He retired with the rank of captain in December 1861, and was promoted torear admiral on the retired list in July 1866. Sloat was aFreemason, and belonged toSaint Nicholas lodge No. 321 inNew York City. He died inNew Brighton, New York, and was buried in Brooklyn'sGreen-Wood Cemetery.[citation needed]
Two destroyers were namedUSS Sloat in his honor as well as the World War IILiberty ship, the SS John Drake Sloat.
A memorial window dedicated to him was unveiled atSt. Peter's Chapel, Mare Island in 1907. Sloat was on the 1852 board that selectedMare Island to be the site of the first U.S. naval base on the Pacific.[7]
The town,Sloat, California, in Plumas County, California was named for him in 1910.
A major street, Sloat Boulevard, and theCommodore Sloat Elementary School, both inSan Francisco, California are named for him.
John Sloat Elementary School located inSacramento, California is named for him.
Streets located inMonterey, California,East Garrison, California, Sacramento, California, and theCarthay Circle neighborhood ofLos Angeles bear his name.
There is a monument erected in his honor on thePresidio of Monterey U.S. Army post.
His hometown ofSloatsburg, New York is named after his grandfather, Stephen Sloat.
Knickerbocker Commodore: The Life and Times of John Drake Sloat, 1781-1867 by Bruce A. Castleman, 2016, State University of New York Press
https://sites.rootsweb.com/~mdannear/firstfam/watkins.htm[permanent dead link]
This article incorporates text from thepublic domainDictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships. The entry can be foundhere.| Under Spain (1769–1822) |  | |
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| Under U.S. military (1846–1850) | ||
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