Alexander Slidell MacKenzie (Civil War)
Encyclopedia
Alexander Slidell MacKenzie (January 24, 1842 – June 13, 1867) was an officer in the United States Navy
during the American Civil War
.
, both of whom were natives of New York City. His father was a well-known naval officer whose career had been surrounded in controversy; his uncles included William Alexander Duer
, John Slidell
, and Matthew C. Perry. By the time of his birth, his parents had purchased a farm on the Hudson between Tarrytown and Sing Sing. In 1848, his father died suddenly while horse-back riding.
and the attacks on Fort Sumter
and Morris Island
. After the end of the war, he returned to the Far East
in Hartford, in which he served until 1867, when he was killed in Kenting, Taiwan
while leading a reprisal attack against those responsible for the deaths of the entire crew of the American merchant bark
Rover
.
Appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1855, he graduated in June 1859 and was assigned to the newly-completed steam sloop of war Hartford. During the next two years, Midshipman MacKenzie served in that ship with the East India Squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant in August 1861, he was an officer of the gunboat Kineo during the conquest of the lower Mississippi River in 1862. Later transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, MacKenzie served off Charleston, South Carolina, in the steam frigate Wabash and monitor Patapsco, taking part in combat operations against Fort Sumter and Morris Island. Later in the Civil War he commanded the gunboat Winona, also in the waters off South Carolina. In July 1865 MacKenzie received the rank of Lieutenant Commander and soon began a second Far Eastern deployment in Hartford. He was killed in action on 13 June 1867, during a punitive expedition ashore in southern Formosa.
in his honor.
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Early life
He was the son of Catherine Alexander (Robinson) and Alexander Slidell MackenzieAlexander Slidell Mackenzie
Alexander Slidell Mackenzie Born in New York City, Mackenzie was a U.S. Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century. He was an accomplished author and writer who wrote several contemporary essays and biographies of notable US naval figures of the early 19th century. He was...
, both of whom were natives of New York City. His father was a well-known naval officer whose career had been surrounded in controversy; his uncles included William Alexander Duer
William Alexander Duer
William Alexander Duer was an American lawyer, jurist, and educator from New York City. He was a president of Columbia University, then Columbia College.-Biography:...
, John Slidell
John Slidell
John Slidell was an American politician, lawyer and businessman. A native of New York, Slidell moved to Louisiana as a young man and became a staunch defender of southern rights as a U.S. Representative and Senator...
, and Matthew C. Perry. By the time of his birth, his parents had purchased a farm on the Hudson between Tarrytown and Sing Sing. In 1848, his father died suddenly while horse-back riding.
Military service
During 1863 and 1864 he participated in the blockade of CharlestonCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
and the attacks on Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter
Fort Sumter is a Third System masonry coastal fortification located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. The fort is best known as the site upon which the shots initiating the American Civil War were fired, at the Battle of Fort Sumter.- Construction :...
and Morris Island
Morris Island
Morris Island is an 840 acre uninhabited island in Charleston Harbor in South Carolina, accessible only by boat. The island lies in the outer reaches of the harbor and was thus a strategic location in the American Civil War.-History:...
. After the end of the war, he returned to the Far East
Far East
The Far East is an English term mostly describing East Asia and Southeast Asia, with South Asia sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons.The term came into use in European geopolitical discourse in the 19th century,...
in Hartford, in which he served until 1867, when he was killed in Kenting, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
while leading a reprisal attack against those responsible for the deaths of the entire crew of the American merchant bark
Bark
Bark is the outermost layers of stems and roots of woody plants. Plants with bark include trees, woody vines and shrubs. Bark refers to all the tissues outside of the vascular cambium and is a nontechnical term. It overlays the wood and consists of the inner bark and the outer bark. The inner...
Rover
Rover (bark)
The Rover Incident occurred on March 12, 1867 when the American merchant ship Rover, en route from Shantou to Yingkou shipwrecked off the coast of Taiwan. The ship struck a coral reef called Qixingyan near Oluanpi and drifted into the area of Kenting...
.
Appointed to the U.S. Naval Academy in 1855, he graduated in June 1859 and was assigned to the newly-completed steam sloop of war Hartford. During the next two years, Midshipman MacKenzie served in that ship with the East India Squadron. Promoted to Lieutenant in August 1861, he was an officer of the gunboat Kineo during the conquest of the lower Mississippi River in 1862. Later transferred to the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron, MacKenzie served off Charleston, South Carolina, in the steam frigate Wabash and monitor Patapsco, taking part in combat operations against Fort Sumter and Morris Island. Later in the Civil War he commanded the gunboat Winona, also in the waters off South Carolina. In July 1865 MacKenzie received the rank of Lieutenant Commander and soon began a second Far Eastern deployment in Hartford. He was killed in action on 13 June 1867, during a punitive expedition ashore in southern Formosa.
Death
Alexanderr MacKenzie died on June 13, 1867 in his home around Tarrytown, N.Y., of heart disease. The Department of the Navy was notified of his death on September 14, by Captain Isaac McKeever, Commandant at New York, who stated that he was so informed by Commodore Matthew C. Perry.Naval History & Heritage Command, Department of the Navy |accessdate=3 June 2011}}Namesakes
Three ships of the Navy have been named USS MacKenzieUSS MacKenzie
USS MacKenzie may refer to:, was the lead ship of MacKenzie class torpedo boats, commissioned in 1899 and struck in 1916, was a Wickes-class destroyer commissioned in 1919, She was decommissioned and turned over to the Royal Canadian Navy in 1940 and recommissioned HMCS Annapolis...
in his honor.
See also
- Alexander Slidell MacKenzie, Sr.Alexander Slidell MackenzieAlexander Slidell Mackenzie Born in New York City, Mackenzie was a U.S. Navy officer who served during the first half of the 19th century. He was an accomplished author and writer who wrote several contemporary essays and biographies of notable US naval figures of the early 19th century. He was...
- Rover incident